The Yuan 15.3 billion ($US 2.24 billion), 24-station line is the first
metro project in China to be implemented as a public-private
partnership, and was built by Beijing-MTR, a joint venture between
state-owned Beijing Infrastructure Investment Company and Beijing
Capital Group, and MTR Corporation, Hong Kong. Beijing-MTR also has a
30-year concession to operate the line.
Services operate at
3.5-minute headways, with a journey time of around 48 minutes between
the termini. Stations are equipped with Bluetooth access points, which
allow passengers to download maps to a mobile phone.
Line 4 is
part of an ambitious investment programme that will give Beijing one of
the world's largest metro networks by the middle of the next decade.
Another five lines, totalling more than 300km are due to open by 2013.