Line 8 (Beijing Subway)

Line 8 of the Beijing Subway (Chinese: 北京地铁8号线; pinyin: běijīng dìtiě bāhàoxiàn) is a rapid transit line in Beijing. It sits on the central axis of Beijing. Line 8's color is green.

Line 8
Line 8 train at Zhuxinzhuang station
Overview
Other name(s)	M8 (planned name) Olympic Branch Line (Chinese: 奥运支线)
Status	Operational
Locale	Dongcheng, Chaoyang, Haidian, and Changping districts Beijing
Termini	Zhuxinzhuang - National Art Museum (North section) Zhushi Kou - Yinghai (South section)
Stations	19 (North section) 12 (South section)
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Beijing Subway
Operator(s)	Beijing Mass Transit Railway Operation Corp., Ltd
Depot(s)	Pingxifu, Yinghai
Rolling stock	6-car Type B (SFM12, SFM42)
Daily ridership	303,100 (2014 Avg.)[1] 431,000 (2014 Peak)[2]
History
Opened	July 19, 2008
Technical
Line length	28.5 km (17.7 mi) (North section) 16.4 km (10.2 mi) (South section)
Character	Underground & Elevated
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC third rail
Operating speed	80 km/h
Route map Changping Xishankou connects Changping line Zhuxinzhuang Changping line Xi'erqi Yuzhi Lu Pingxi Fu Pingxifu depot Huilongguan Dongdajie Huoying Line 13 Xizhi Men – Dongzhi Men Huangtudian railway station BCR line S2 Yuxin Xixiao Kou Yongtaizhuang Qing river Lincui Qiao water body of Olympic Forest Park Forest Park South Gate Line 15 Olympic Park Qinghua Donglu Xikou – Fengbo Olympic Sports Center connects Line 10 Anzhen Men Beitucheng Line 10 outer – inner Xiaoyue river Anhua Qiao Line 12 (to be opened 2021) Sijiqing - Guanzhuangluxikou Andeli Beijie North Hucheng river outer – inner Gulou Dajie Line 2 Shichahai Jin river Jin'an Qiao Nanluogu Xiang Line 6 Lucheng National Art Museum section between National Art Museum and Zhushikou to be opened 2021 Jinyu Hutong Wangfujing Line 1 Pingguo Yuan – Sihui Dong (E) inner – outer Beijing underground cross-city railway crossing Qian Men Line 2 section between National Art Museum and Zhushikou to be opened 2021 Zhushi Kou Line 7 Beijing South railway station – Huazhuang Tianqiao South Hucheng river Jinghu railway etc. Zhangguozhuang – Shan'gezhuang Yongdingmen Wai Line 14 Muxi Yuan Haihutun Liangshui river outer – inner Dahong Men (not open) Line 10 Dahongmen Nan (S) Fengshuang railway Heyi Donggaodi Huojian Wanyuan Wufutang Demao Yinghai Yinghai depot

Currently, the line consists of two discontinuous line segments. The northern section (Zhuxinzhuang to National Art Museum) is 28.5 km (17.7 mi), with 19 stations. The southern section (Zhushikou to Yinghai) is 16.4 km (10.2 mi), with 12 stations.

Hours of Operation

North Section

The first southbound train departs from Zhuxinzhuang at 5:10 am. The first northbound train departs from National Art Museum at 5:27 am.[3]

The last southbound train leaves Zhuxinzhuang at 10:05 pm. The last northbound train leaves National Art Museum at 11:05 pm.[3]

South Section

The first south-bound train departs from Zhushikou at 5:50 am. The first north-bound train departs from Yinghai at 5:15 am.[3]

The last south-bound train leaves Zhushikou at 11:35 pm. The last north-bound train leaves Yinghai at 11:00 pm.[3]

Route

North Section

In the north, Line 8 begins at Zhuxinzhuang on the Changping Line and heads east to Huilongguan Residential Area and then south through the Line 13 arc at Huoying, to the Olympic Park station on Line 15. The line enters the Line 10 loop at Beitucheng and then the Line 2 loop at Gulou Dajie before reaching Nanluogu Xiang on Line 6, and then to National Art Museum.

Apart from the Zhuxinzhuang station and an 1.7 km (1.1 mi) section of elevated track leading therefrom, the entire line runs underground.

South Section

The south section of Line 8, from Zhushikou to Yinghai, is 16.4 km long and has a 2.06 km elevated section. All stations are underground, except for Demao and Yinghai stations, which are elevated.

Stations

Currently, the line consists of two discontinuous line segments.

North section: Zhuxinzhuang to National Art Museum.

South section: Zhushikou to Yinghai.

Service routes		Station Name		Connections	Nearby Bus Stops	Distance km[4]		Location
North section	South section	English	Chinese
●		Zhuxinzhuang	朱辛庄	Changping	417 463 560 871 880 898 899 专32 专49 专50	0.000	0.000	Changping
●		Yuzhi Lu	育知路		463 560 专80 专102	2.318	2.318
●		Pingxi Fu	平西府		344 428 460 461 996 专131 专192	1.985	4.303
●		Huilongguan Dongdajie	回龙观东大街		367 441 462 478 558 607 681 996 夜38 专21 专52 专78 专101 专192 专193	2.056	6.359
●		Huoying	霍营	13  ( S2 via HKP)	371 462 478 551 558 606 607 681 专21 专52 专160 专192	1.114	7.473
●		Yuxin	育新		315 355 371 379 393 398 432 462 606 607 614 617 693 专89 专139	1.894	9.367	Changping / Haidian
●		Xixiao Kou	西小口		379 专79 专89	1.543	10.910	Haidian
●		Yongtaizhuang	永泰庄		81 379 476 490 专43 专89	1.041	11.951
●		Lincui Qiao	林萃桥		81 379 478 510 专44	2.553	14.504	Chaoyang
●		Forest Park South Gate	森林公园南门			2.555	17.059
●		Olympic Park	奥林匹克公园	15	311 319 379 450 484 695 专40	1.016	18.075
●		Olympic Sports Center	奥体中心		607	1.667	19.742
●		Beitucheng	北土城	10	5 21 81 82 92 113 142 380 409 515 607 620 653 694 夜6 夜9 专8	0.900	20.642
●		Anhua Qiao	安华桥		5 21 82 113 142 300 300快 302 328 361 368 380 387 409 601 604 607 671 847 921 944 夜6 夜30	1.018	21.660	Xicheng / Chaoyang
●		Andeli Beijie	安德里北街		60 82 142 380 409 夜36 专7	1.274	22.934	Dongcheng
●		Gulou Dajie	鼓楼大街	2	27 44 60 82 200 380 409 夜20 夜36 专51	1.083	24.017	Dongcheng / Xicheng
●		Shichahai	什刹海		5 60 82 107 124 135 观光3 夜2 夜10	1.188	25.205
●		Nanluogu Xiang	南锣鼓巷	6	3 4 13 42 60 82 115 118 612 夜3 夜21	0.902	26.107	Dongcheng
●		National Art Museum	中国美术馆		2 58 101 104 108 109 111 112 128 夜13 夜18 夜21	1.437	27.544
		Jinyu Hutong	金鱼胡同
		Wangfujing	王府井	1
		Qian Men	前门	2
	●	Zhushi Kou	珠市口	7	2 5 20 23 48 57 59 66 93 120 141 622 观光1 夜2 夜7 夜10 夜17 夜18	0.000	0.000	Dongcheng / Xicheng
	●	Tianqiao	天桥		2 7 15 20 35 36 53 71 72 90 93 105 106 110 120 141 622 BRT1(快速公交1) 观光1 夜2 夜11 专153	0.881	0.881
	●	Yongdingmen Wai	永定门外	14	2 7 25 40 71 72 93 120 622 828 849 943 997 BRT1(快速公交1) 夜2 专153	1.800	2.681	Dongcheng
	●	Muxi Yuan	木樨园		2 50 51 54 62 71 72 93 120 300 300快 324 366快 368 497 526 622 652 665 678 679 687 820 827 828 839 848 849 943 954 957 973 997 BRT1(快速公交1) 夜2 夜23 夜24 夜30 专18 专130	0.741	3.422
	●	Haihutun	海户屯		54 71 324 526 622 678 687 827 954 BRT1(快速公交1) 夜2 专34	0.845	4.267	Fengtai
	｜	Dahong Men	大红门			—	—
	●	Dahongmen Nan (S)	大红门南		54 324 343 366 400 400快 485 501 511 526 602 622 685 687 825 827 829 954 990 BRT1(快速公交1) 夜2 专13 专163	1.678	5.945
	●	Heyi	和义		54 324 366 485 501 526 622 685 827 954 BRT1(快速公交1) 夜2	2.446	8.391
	●	Donggaodi	东高地		324 353 354 366 501 526 556 622 685 954 BRT1(快速公交1) 夜2	1.537	9.928
	●	Huojian Wanyuan	火箭万源		526 576 680 BRT1(快速公交1)	1.215	11.143
	●	Wufutang	五福堂		526 555 576 680 926 BRT1(快速公交1)	1.684	12.827	Daxing
	●	Demao	德茂		341 453 526 555 926 专56	2.076	14.903
	●	Yinghai	瀛海		341 526 555 573 926 专56 专83	1.510	16.413

History and Future Development

Line 8 has been planned and built in several phases.

Segment	Commencement	Length	Station(s)	Name
South Gate of Forest Park — Beitucheng	19 July 2008	3.583 km (2.23 mi)	3	Phase 1 (Olympic Branch line)
Olympic Sports Center	10 October 2008	Infill station	1
Huilongguan Dongdajie — South Gate of Forest Park	31 December 2011	10.700 km (6.65 mi)	6	Phase 2 (northern section)
Beitucheng — Guloudajie	30 December 2012	3.375 km (2.10 mi)	2	Phase 2 (1st southern section)
Guloudajie — Nanluoguxiang	28 December 2013	2.090 km (1.30 mi)	2	Phase 2 (2nd southern section)
Zhuxinzhuang — Huilongguan Dongdajie		6.359 km (3.95 mi)	3	Changping & Line 8 connector project
Andelibeijie	26 December 2015	Infill station	1
Nanluoguxiang — National Art Museum	30 December 2018	1.88 km (1.17 mi)[5]	1	Phase 2 (3rd southern section)
Zhushikou — Yinghai		16.4 km (10.19 mi)	12	Phase 3 (southern section) & Phase 4

Forest motif inside the station

South Gate of Forest Park Station, Exit A

Olympic Green Station platform

Olympic Green Station

Beitucheng Station platform

Beitucheng Station, Exit D1

Phase I (Olympic Branch Line)

Line 8 was planned as the subway line that follows Beijing's central north–south axis.[6][7] The first section of Line 8 to be built was the four-station segment from Beitucheng to Forest Park South Gate, 4.35 km (2.70 mi) in length, that serves the Olympic Green. This section was included in Beijing's bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics, which was awarded to the city in 2001. Originally, Beijing's subway planners also considered building a subway extension line off of Line 13 or Line 5 to serve the Olympic Green but ultimately chose to build Line 8 as a branch off of Line 10.[8] Construction began in 2004.[9] With other Olympic venues also under construction, Phase I of Line 8 was built using the cut-and-cover method to reduce the difficulty of construction.[10] The Olympic Branch Line, as Line 8 Phase I was known, entered into operation together with Line 10 on July 19, 2008. It serves the Olympic Green, located due north of the city centre, during the 2008 Summer Olympics. The Phase I only included 4 stations. Access was originally restricted to riders with an Olympic Register Card or a ticket to an event at the Olympic Games or Paralympic Games on the day of the event. In early October 2008, the line was fully opened to the public.

Phase II

On December 8, 2007, while Phase I of Line 8 was still under construction, work began on Phase II to extend Line 8 in both directions along the city's north–south central axis.[11] In Phase II was estimated to cost ¥10.1 billion and was scheduled to be completed by 2012.[12][13]

Northern extension to Huilongguan Dongdajie

The northern extension to Huilongguan Dongdajie, 10.7 km (6.6 mi) in length with 6 stations, extended Line 8 from the South Gate of Forest Park to Huilongguan Dongdajie in Changping District beyond the Line 13 arc. Land clearing for Phase II began in December 2007.[12][14] Tunnel boring machines began work on October 16, 2009.[15] In the fall of 2011, the entire Line 8 shut down and the entire line including the Phase II northern extension reopened on December 31, 2011.[15][16]

The Lincuiqiao station, just west of the Olympic Forest Park, was originally planned as an emergency stop, but was added at the behest of nearby residents and their municipal people's congress representative, Tian Yuan, who argued that the 5.1 km (3.2 mi) gap between South Gate of Forest Park and Yongtaizhuang made subway access inconvenient for residents along Lincui Road.[17] Lincuiqiao was officially added as a station to Phase II plans in December 2008.

Southern extension to Guloudajie

The southern extension to Guloudajie, 3.28 km (2.04 mi) in length, opened on December 30, 2012. Travel time from Huilongguan to the Second Ring Road was reduced by a half-hour.[18] Daily ridership reached 203,000 in March 2013.[19]

Phase II sections opened at the end of 2013

On December 28, 2013, Line 8 reached 26.614 km (16.537 mi) in length with the opening of the Changping-Line 8 Connector and the southern extension to Nanluoguxiang.[20][21]

Changping-Line 8 Connector

Line 8 train at the Zhuxinzhuang Station

The Changping-Line 8 Connector, also known as the Changba Connector Line (昌八联络线) or Changba Connector, is a 6.3-kilometre-long (3.9 mi) extension of Line 8 from Huilongguan Dongdajie to Zhuxinzhuang on the Changping Line.[20] The Changba Connector contains three stations: Pingxifu, Yuzhilu and Zhuxinzhuang, and forms the northernmost section of Line 8.[20] The Changba Connector was designed to alleviate passenger traffic on Line 13 by allowing Changping Line riders heading to destinations in eastern Beijing to switch to Line 8 at Zhuxingzhuang instead of transferring to Line 13 at Xi'erqi. The connector was built from April 2011 to September 2013 and entered operation at the end of 2013.[20][21]

Southern extension to Nanluoguxiang

South of Guloudajie, Line 8 was extended a further 2.16 km (1.34 mi) through Shichahai station to Nanluogu Xiang station on December 28, 2013.[22]

Phase II southern extension to National Art Museum

The one-station extension from Nanluoguxiang to National Art Museum was opened on 30 December 2018.[23][24]

Phase III & IV

In Phase III & IV, Line 8 will be extended further south from the National Art Museum through Qianmen and Yongdingmen to beyond the southern 5th Ring Road. The line will veer to the east of the central axis to avoid passing under the Forbidden City and Tian'anmen Square, before returning to the central axis alignment at Qianmen.

Planning began in 2009.[25] Plans of Line 8 in Phase III & IV showed 16 stations for 21.0 km (13.0 mi).[26] Phase III includes 14 stations and Phase IV includes 2 stations, Demao and Yinghai. Phase III was scheduled to be built by 2015[27] but the commencement of construction was not set to begin until October 2013.[28]

On 30 December 2018, the southernmost section of Phase III, and Phase IV, from Zhushikou to Yinghai was opened (12 stations were opened, Dahongmen was not opened).[23][24]

The section between National Art Museum and Zhushikou, which includes 3 stations (Jinyu Hutong, Wangfujing and Qianmen) will be opened in 2021.[26]

Rolling Stock

During the Olympics Line 8 borrowed DKZ15 trains from Line 10; after the opening of the first sections of Phase II new CSR Sifang Locomotive SFM12 trains dedicated to Line 8 were rolled out.[29]

Inside a Line 8 train

Line 8 train

Model	Image	Manufacturer	Year Built	Amount in Service	Fleet Numbers	Depot
SFM12		CRRC Qingdao Sifang Beijing Subway Rolling Stock Equipment	2010	40	08 001–08 040	Pingxifu Yinghai
SFM42			2019	72	08 041–08 112

Notes

References

1. 晚高峰加小圈车 地铁6号线满载率降12%. 首都之窗. 2014-08-22. Archived from the original on 2015-01-05. Retrieved 2014-09-14.
2. 4月30日北京地铁日客运量再创新纪录. Beijing Subway. 2014-05-01. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
3. http://www.bjsubway.com/e/action/ListInfo/?classid=39&ph=1
4. "8号线路网车站站间距信息". Retrieved 2020-04-29.
5. "两条地铁线路年内将"升级"". 2018-10-18.
6. "北京地铁周末"三线齐发" 机场线票价尚未公布". 2008-07-18. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
7. "穿越时代与历史轴线 北京地铁八号线兼顾生活与休闲". 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
8. (Chinese) "北京奥运场馆明年七月动工 会徽已有满意方案" 2002-12-30
9. (Chinese) "北京市３条在建地铁今年完成投资４０亿元" Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine 2004-12-16
10. "地铁10号线一期和奥运支线线路示意图". 北京市交通委员会. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
11. (Chinese) "北京5条地铁新线同时开工 总里程近140公里" 2007-12-10
12. Line 8 Phase II Information Page at the Beijing Infrastructure Investment Co. Ltd.
13. (Chinese) 北京地铁10号线和8号线将于2012年通车 北京晨报 Oct. 8, 2008
14. The Changping District government commenced land clearing for Line 8's extension in December 2007. (Chinese)北京地铁8号线昌平站点启动拆迁_新浪房产_新浪网 Jan. 30, 2008
15. (Chinese) 北京地铁8号线开始盾构施工 Xinhua Oct. 17, 2009
16. Xu Wei, "Beijing launches three new subway sections" China Daily 2012-01-01
17. (Chinese) Hailiang Wang and Nan Yin, "北京地铁8号线规划增设林萃桥南站" 北京晨报 Dec. 29, 2008
18. (Chinese)北京地铁公布最新线路全图, Beijing Youth Daily, 2012-12-12.
19. "Official Ridership". Beijing Subway. Archived from the original on 2013-03-22. Retrieved 2013-03-10.
20. (Chinese) 运行时间10分钟, 北京青年报 2013-10-08
21. (Chinese) "京地铁8号线南北新线周六开通 中国美术馆站暂缓开通" <北京晚报> Archived 2014-01-05 at the Wayback Machine 2013-12-25
22. (Chinese)北京地铁公布最新线路全图, Beijing Youth Daily, 2012-12-12"
23. http://news.ynet.com/2018/12/30/1600990t70.html
24. http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2018/09/20/506708.html
25. 北京地铁8号线二期将南延至大兴区 (in Chinese). The Beijing News. 2009-05-27.
26. http://bj.people.com.cn/n2/2018/0907/c82840-32025686.html
27. Wang Yi (王祎) (2011-06-15). 北京地铁八号线三期 初步规划14站. Fazhi Wanbao (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2012-01-02.
28. 北京地铁8号线三期本月开工 预计2017年建成. Beijing Youth Daily. 2013-10-04.
29. 北京三条地铁新线今日14时开通 北京西站通地铁

External links

• Official Beijing Subway Website
• Line 8 Phase II Information Page at the Beijing Infrastructure Investment Co. Ltd.