Beijing city gov't begins move to Tongzhou

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Beijing’s Tongzhou District officially became the city’s new municipal administration center on Wednesday as the government began the transfer process.

The move came after the capital sought to address its severe “urban diseases,” such as traffic congestion and air pollution, by curbing population growth and moving facilities to nearby regions. The plan and construction had been underway since mid-2016.

To address the inevitable population boost and higher traffic, upgrades will be made to the existing transportation systems.

To facilitate non-capital functions, Tongzhou will build a comprehensive network of high-speed roads and subway lines. Beijing's latest city planning document says it will be built into a world-class livable zone that emphasizes environmental protection and cultural heritage.

The new administration office area as shown in a model. /Xinhua Photo

Currently, Tongzhou has 53 charging stations at expressway service areas and shopping malls, and another two for the district’s 510 electric taxis. But as Beijing moves many of its administrative offices out of the city center to the eastern suburbs, more will be needed.

A total of 1,895 charging ports for electric cars will be installed by the end of this year, with about 1,615 of them being put within the area of administrative offices, according to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning in 2016.

By 2020, Tongzhou plans to build a charging port every two kilometers to better provide for electric vehicles in the suburban district. The new city center is expected to draw approximately 400,000 urban residents from Beijing's Central Business District (CBD) and its surrounding areas to Tongzhou, said the commission.

The district will utilize clean energy buses that are low in carbon emissions and environmentally friendly.

Clean energy buses will be a priority in Tongzhou. /Phoenix TV Photo

Only three metro lines out of 18 in the existing subway network run through Tongzhou: Line 6, Batong and Yizhuang. However, 10 lines out of the 21 the city is currently planning will pass through the new sub-center, according to the commission.

The Tongzhou railway station, which was built about 100 years ago and abandoned for a long time, will be put back into use. The sub-center line that will start operating by the end of the year runs through Beijing West Railway Station, Beijing Railway Station, Beijing East Railway Station and Tongzhou Railway Station.

The intra-city train, or “railway bus,” will take passengers about 42 minutes to travel from Beijing West Railway Station to Tongzhou Railway Station and 25 minutes from Beijing Railway Station to Tongzhou Railway Station.

Unlike inter-city high-speed trains, the intra-city line has less crowded seating arrangements and more space for standing.

Tongzhou Railway Station will be put back into use. /Xinhua Photo

(CGTN's Xie Zhenqi also contributed to the story)

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