New Beijing airport set for high-speed mass transit link

Beijing's new airport, expected to start construction in Fengtai district in 2013, will be connected to the city with a new high-speed mass transit line, Beijing Major Projects Construction Headquarters Office confirmed yesterday.

Yang Guangwu, chief engineer at the office, revealed Wednesday during a broadcast on FM 107.3 public service radio, that they have made initial plans for the subway's construction.

Yang also said that Subway Line 6 is expected to begin its trial phase this September. The Beijing subway network will extend to 420 kilometers by year's end.

"As soon as the date confirming the airport's construction is released, we'll start the line's construction," said a member of staff, surnamed Lie, from the projects office yesterday.

Trains on the new line may reach speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour, said Lie.

Jia Peng, spokesman for Beijing Subway, said that currently they have not received any information about the new airport transit link, as they are not construction contractors.

According to the China News Service, the airport project is expected to win government approval this year and start initial preparations next year, Li Jiaxiang, chief of the Civil Aviation Administration of China and member of Chinese People's Political and Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said yesterday at the closing ceremony of the CPPCC.

Li said annual passenger numbers at Beijing Capital International Airport are close to 80 million, rising at a rate of over 10 percent a year since 2001. It has become one of the world's busiest transport hubs second only to Atlanta Airport in the US.

The new airport is expected to start operations in 2017, and is planned to handle over 130 million passengers and 5.5 million tons of cargo annually.