Beijing's subway is expected to carry 1.86 million passengers on New Year's Day, Beijing Metro said Thursday.

The subway operator is preparing for a drastic influx in passenger flow starting on Saturday, the New Year's Eve, a company source told Xinhua.

He said Beijing Metro has predicted 5.58 million passenger trips during the three-day New Year holiday from Sunday to Tuesday, 540,000 more than last year.

The company has carried out a thorough checkup to ensure all subway trains and facilities are in good condition. It will put an additional 10 trains into service to meet the growing demand.

More subway employees will have to work during the holiday to maintain good order on platforms and to do emergency repairs, the spokesman said.

Subway authorities will also join hands with the local public security department to detect substandard firecrackers and other explosives.

Beijing's subway network runs 114 kilometers and accounts for at least 10 percent of the city's urban transport. With the completion of more routes, the subway will contribute 20 percent to the city's traffic system by 2008.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2005)