New Line 13 Tsinghua University Station to Open this Year

原创 Charles L. theBeijinger

Beijing residents living in the university area of Wudaokou won't be feeling so isolated anymore as new subway stations are expected to open on the Beijing Metro Line 13 by the end of the year.

For the first time in 15 years, Line 13 will add a new station to its route with the Tsinghua East Road West Entrance Station (清华东路西口站, otherwise known as "Qinghuadonglu Xikou Station"), located directly north of Wudaokou Station and will serve the nearby Tsinghua University.

It's not there... yet

Already in operation with service provided to Line 15, the station will allow transfers between the two lines through a lengthy underpass, something of a staple of Line 13's station layouts.

READ: 100-Year-Old Traditional Beijing Restaurant Demolished to Make Way for Subway Station

Joining Qinghuadonglu Xikou Station as a new addition on Line 13 is the much more succinctly named Qinghe Station (清河站), located just two stations away, north of Shangdi Station. And with so many lines overlapping like a hearty plate of spaghetti, Qinghe Station will also serve as a transfer interchange for the current Changping Line, future Line 19 as well as up for consideration for a high-speed rail connection.

The new stations are a long time coming for Line 13, a route that has the distinction of being Beijing's third subway line. But even as the city plans to upgrade its aging signal system, Line 13 is already burdened with the city's most crowded subway station (Xi'erqi Station), towards which the inclusion of additional stations may cause problems.

READ: Beijing to Tear Down Qing Dynasty Railroad Station in Downtown Wudaokou

Meanwhile, other recent developments that may brighten your day is the news that the Beijing Metro has begun spraying a photocatalyst on its trains to fight against odors and germs.

Since the beginning of June, subway workers have been spraying the agent on ceilings, seats, windows, and armrests on Line 6 subway trains. Described as "nanotechnology-enabled", the agent reacts with light to accelerate a photoreaction, instigating processes like chlorophyll to turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen as well as decompose indoor wastes like formaldehyde and toluene, thereby reducing germs by as much as 80 percent.

As it were, none of Line 6 is built above ground, so we hope for the photocatalyst's sake that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Want to check out all the new stations that will be added to Line 13 in the future? Check out this map: