Beijing subway Line 4 will officially start operation before October 1st. After five year's construction, the line carried its first batch of passengers on Monday. Two-hundred lucky residents were invited for a trial ride.
It's the first time ordinary citizens have been invited for a trial ride before a subway line opens. Beijing's Subway Line 4 runs from Majialou in the south to Longbeicun in the northwest area. The passengers invited for the test run took a brief ride from the National Library to Xidan, a popular shopping area.
One passenger said "The station is large and bright with lots of signs and indicators. The carriage is also roomy and has enough handles. The air conditioning is good. I feel comfortable. By taking the subway I can easily get to the Summer Palace, saving me nearly an hour."
One passenger said "This line has a station in Zhongguancun, plenty of people go there to buy electronic products every day, the line will facilitate their trips. The National Library and the Beijing Zoo are also places I often go to."
Line 4 covers many places where traffic jams often occur. Many passengers say the line will make their daily life more convenient. But they also had some suggestions.
One passenger said "More subways will be built in the future. I hope that it will be convenience for us to transit among these lines."
Passengers take the trial ride could also get a commemorative transit card with 100 yuan on it.
(CCTV September 2, 2009)
