Beijing to extend its subway system to build "one-hour metropolitan area"

Beijing and Hebei will strengthen coordination in transport infrastructure construction, and establish a "one-hour metropolitan area" by extend Beijing's subway lines to surrounding cities of Hebei Province, said Zhang Gong, director of Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission March 7.

Beijing's city planning departments have earlier expressed that inter city railway lines, rather than subway, should be the solution for inter city transportation.

Zhang said that Beijing was considering expanding its existing subway system to some cities and towns in Hebei province.

In accordance with the development of bearing capacity of surrounding cities and the integration of Beijing's urban and rural areas, the program would be launched during the 12th Five-Year Plan period, whose ultimate aim was to achieve the complementary advantages through building urban agglomerations around Beijing, and avoid the disadvantage of land resources and space in Beijing, Zhang noted.

In addition, Beijing and Hebei will enhance cooperation and communications on transport infrastructure facilities, and actively promote the construction of Beijing-Zhangjiakou, Beijing-Tangshan, Beijing-Chengde and Beijing-Shijiazhuang high-speed railway lines to create one-hour metropolitan area.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90862/6913206.html.