Six More Subway Stations to Limit Rush Hour Crowds

Patrick Li | Jan 12, 2015 4:30 pm | 5 comments | 9432 reads

Six more stations were added to the list of stops that will restrict passenger inflow during peak hours on the Beijing Subway, officials announced over the weekend.

That makes 61 stops on the network that will now be subject to lines to get in during peak hours, and another reason to quit your job and move to Bali ask your boss for flextime hours.

New stations on the inflow restriction list include Guomao and Jintaixizhao on Line 10 (morning and evening); Sanyuanqiao on Line 10 (evening only); Yonganli on Line 1 (evening only); Gucheng on Line 1 (morning only); and Fengtai Science Park on Line 9 (evening only).

The dual forces of increased concern about crowd control as a result of the Shanghai New Year's Eve stampede and the opening of several new lines December 28 led officials to make the decision.

That merely means that human stampedes will happen outside the stations instead of inside them, but that's a matter for another day.

Waiting times vary according to constantly montiored station capacities, which means sometimes you may get right in but other times you may find yourself waiting for 10 minutes or more.

In the meantime, here's a handy chart of the stations where you may need to stand in line outside the station in order to get in:

 

Line Station Time
Line 1 Pingguoyuan, Gucheng 6.30-9am
  Sihui East 7-9.30am
  Sihui 7-9.30am, 4-8pm 
  Bajiao Amusement Park 6.30-9am
  Babaoshan 7-8.30am
  Gongzhufen 7-9am
  Fuxingmen 5-7pm
  Yonganli 5.30-7.30pm
     
Line 2 Chaoyangmen 4.30-7pm
     
Line 5 All Stations between Tiantongyuan North and Huixinxijie Beikou (Tiantongyuan North, Tiantongyuan, Tiantongyuan South, Lishuiqiao, Lishuiqiao South, Beiyuanlu North, Datunlu East, Huixinxijie Beikou); All stations between Ciqikou and Songjiazhuang (Ciqikou, Tiantandongmen, Puhuangyu, Liujiayao, Songjiazhuang) 7-9am
  Huixinxijie Nankou, Dongdan 7-9am, 5-7pm
     
Line 6 All stations between Hujialou and Caofang (Hujialou, Jintailu, Shilipu, Qingnianlu, Dalianpo, Huangqu, Changying, Caofang) 7-9am
     
Yizhuang Line Jiugong 7-9am
     
Line 9 Beijing West Railway Station, Liuliqiao East 7-9am
  Fengtai Science Park 5-7pm
     
Line 10 Jinsong, Shuangjing 7.30-9am, 5.30-7.30pm
  Liangmaqiao 6-7pm
  Sanyuanqiao 5.30-7.30pm
  Guomao, Jintaixizhao 7.30-9am, 5-7pm
     
Line 13 Shangdi 7-9am
  Huoying 7.30-9am
  Huilongguan 7-9.15am
  Longze 7.30-9.15am
  Wudaokou 5-7pm
     
Batong Line All stations between Communication University and Liyuan (Communication University, Shuangqiao, Guanzhuang, Baliqiao, Tongzhoubeiyuan, Guoyuan, Jiukeshu, Liyuan) 7-9am
     
Changping Line Xi’erqi 7-9am, 5-7.30pm
  Zhuxinzhuang 7-9am
  Life Science Park 6.40-9am
  Shahe 6.40-9.30am
  Nanshao 6.30-8.30am

Photo: news.china.com

 

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PatrickLi's picture PatrickLi Submitted by Guest on Tue, 01/13/2015 - 14:06

chaspope wrote:

I would love to know if the queues are typically caused by bottlenecks at the security checks (and I see the procedures are even more onerous on the newly-opened lines), or by train capacity. If the former, the creation of massive queues in non-secure areas does not seem like a particularly sensible idea.

That's a good question.

My personal opinion is that limited capacity plus large volume of commuters is the main reason, rather than bottlenecks at security checks. The platform and trains can be pretty crowded despite long lines at the security check. 

TX_Chick's picture TX_Chick Submitted by Guest on Tue, 01/13/2015 - 11:27

This seems like a very logical plan. Too many people in the station is a fire hazard.

That being said, I've been on Line 5 in the mornings, and it's not so much that the stations south of Lishuiqiao need to restrict entry, it's that they need to only allow the trains to fill to half at Tiantongyuan, or maybe start some trains a bit further south to allow for more people to get on. The trains fill up at the northernmost station and then only a handful of people can get on at each station.

chaspope's picture chaspope Submitted by Guest on Tue, 01/13/2015 - 11:22

Thank you for this. I would love to know if the queues are typically caused by bottlenecks at the security checks (and I see the procedures are even more onerous on the newly-opened lines), or by train capacity. If the former, the creation of massive queues in non-secure areas does not seem like a particularly sensible idea.

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