Beijing to build six new subway lines

Construction of six new subway lines in Beijing is expected to start by the end of this year to help ease traffic in the Chinese capital.

The six lines, with a total length of more than 90 kilometers, are expected to be operational by the end of 2016, bringing the city's total track length to more than 600 kilometers, according to the Beijing City Subway Construction Management Company on Tuesday.

They include downtown lines and lines linking suburban areas with more congested areas in the inner city.

Currently there are 17 subway lines running in Beijing with a total length of 456 kilometers. The city's subway system carries about 10 million passengers daily on workdays.