download.jpg (Photo : Reuters)
China's combined subway system length will soon be the world's longest as it has been forecast to reach up to 8,500 kilometers by 2020, said Yang Chuantang, the Minister of Transport, on Thursday.
According to Yang, metro systems have been recently extended in 19 of China's cities. The subway systems' total mileage is expected to reach up to 3,000 kilometers by the end of 2014.
Beijing deputy mayor Dai Junliang said that public transportation methods, especially the metro lines, play a big role in the alleviation of Beijing's traffic congestion problems. The government is also expected to invest more for the development of the subway systems, Dai added.
In addition to China's 17 subway lines, four more will be opened for public use this December, extending Beijing's metro to 527 kilometers, which is the longest in China.
According to the Beijing Commission of Transport, the number of daily passengers in the metro lines is expected to grow gradually to more than 10 million.
Yang said that with the rapidly growing number of metro passengers, public safety and security should be upgraded.
The number of employees and workers in some of China's metro lines are not enough, while some staff members are also unfit in using advanced technology, which might result in several security risks.
Beijing metro conducted a safety drill on Thursday. Teams from the metro, traffic authorities and medical workers took part in the drill.
In case of emergencies in the capital's subway system, more than 70 plans are already in place, according to Beijing Metro Group emergency response and coordination director Chen Wen.
The capital city is equipped with 26 professional teams for emergencies consisting of more than 500 members. More than 600 safety drills are also being conducted annually.
