Beijing's new Number 5 Subway line is now being tested.
It's scheduled to open in September. Beijing's first north-south underground line is equipped with new technology for the upcoming Olympics.
The Number 5 line is almost ready for the Olympics.
There are LCD screens on the platforms and in the trains with schedule information -- and they can broadcast live TV signals. So during next year's games, passengers on the way to an event won't miss any of the action while they're traveling.
This is Beijing's first subway line equipped with an integrated information system. Passengers can check out the latest train schedule and city information and of course the Olympics.
The subway line has its own individual style.
The newly finished Lama Temple Station is a fusion of east and west, with Chinese-style pillars and stairways inside. There's even a Chinese chess board engraved on the ground.
Safety and convenience are also a major part of the design.
All platforms have glass walls to prevent passengers' falling onto the railway. The carriage floor is made of non-slip materials. And mobile phone signals can be picked up on every inch of the line.
At interchange stations there are moving walkways for passengers transferring to a different line. And there's braille on the stairways for the blind.
The 30-kilometer line is scheduled to officially open in September.
(China.org.cn, CCTV August 31, 2007)
