Subway Geeks Alert: New Segments of Line 14, Changping Extension Open Dec 26

By the time you read this Saturday, Beijing's ever-expanding subway system will have weclomed new line segments and stations to its amazing spider web of coverage.

Opening this morning is the middle segment of Line 14, which now runs all the way from Shangezhuang in the northeast corner of Chaoyang bordering Shunyi, all the way down the east side of the city before cutting west to the Beijing South Railway Station in Fengtai.

This gives anyone lucky enough to live along Line 14 a direct ride to the hub that services high-speed trains to Shanghai and the Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway (which gets you to Tianjin in 30 minutes).

Line 14,which previously had connections with Line 15 at Wangjing station and Line 6 at Jintailu, will now also have interchange stations with Line 1 at Dawang Lu, Line 10 at Shilihe, Line 5 at Puhuangyu and Line 8 at Yongdingmenwai., before reaching Beijing South Railway Station.

Several stations along the line -- Chaoyang Park, Pingleyuan, Taoranqiao and Gaojiayuan -- remain closed without a scheduled opening date.

Also on tap for opening this morning is the second phase of the Changping Line, which could be of interest to those lving in the far northwest or those wanting to brave a lengthy subway ride to the gates of the Ming Tombs.

Two previously unopened stations are also due to begin service this weekend: The Andeli Beijie station on Line 8 and the Dadun Lu East station on Line 15.

Meanwhile, here's the newest edition of the Beijing subway map incorporating all the new line segments and stations:

Off-Peak Pricing Trial Starts, But Few Will Benefit

Also of note is the a new off-peak fare trial that formally kicks in Monday. It's the latest in an effort to reduce rush-hour congestion, though currently the trial is limited and will benefit only a subset of commuters coming in from distant suburbs.

Passengers entering the system on one of 16 stations -- all of which are on either the Batong Line (think Tongzhou) or the Changping Line -- are eligible for the discount. Commuters entering those stations before 7am on weekdays will get 30 percent off the regular fare.

Now, before you say "thanks for nothing," bear in mind that commuters in those places face longer journeys, and if they can be encouraged to start their commute earlier, these passengers are a lot more likely to finish their commute before you downtowners make your hop, skip and a jump from home to work.

The eligible stations are: Nanshao; Shahe University Park; Shahe; Gonghuacheng; and Zhuxinzhuang on the Changping Line (five stations in total), and the 11 stations on Batong Line from Tuqiao to Gaobeidian.

The trial will continue until December 31, 2016, so if you're an early riser living in Changping or Tongzhou, 2016 will be your year of subway savings!

The hopes are that if this works well, off-peak discount fares could be expanded to other portions of the network.

-- Steven Schwankert and Scott Devoy Su contributed to this report.

Photo: Wikimedia