Beijing plans to invest a total of 63.8 billion yuan (US$7.78 billion) in eight planned light rail projects in the next six years, city planning officials said Monday.

The projects include two links from the city proper to the Olympic village for the 2008 Olympic Games and to Beijing's international airport.

The city planners said Beijing was expected to build 156.7 km of new subway and light rail systems, increasing the total length to more than 300 km by 2008.

Rapidly growing economic strength and Beijing's successful bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games enabled the city to attract sufficient investment for the projects.

Beijing's circle subway line in the central city, the first subway rail system, was completed in the late 1980s.

The city drew up an ambitious subway construction program in the 1950s, but had to shelve it due to a lack of money.

( October 15, 2002)