Beijing metro pilots plans to stagger morning rush hour commutes

Facing a surge in commuters preparing to return to the workplace, Beijing’s subway operators are taking ample precautions while easing back to the swing of things. According to an official announcement on WeChat yesterday, it has rolled out a new program that welcomes riders to stagger their morning rush hour journeys.

Dubbed ‘subway-by-appointment’, the program will be trialed tomorrow at two of Beijing’s metro stations: the Tiantongyuan Station on Line 5 and the Shahe Station on Changping Line. 

Namely, passengers are encouraged to make an appointment to enter the stations and check for less crowded trains during morning rush hour.

Photo: Beijing Subway/WeChat

Though only enforced voluntarily in the pilot stage, certain incentives are set up for those who opt to alter their morning rush hour commuting times, including access to designated entrances and reserved passages, according to the metro operators. The aim of this is to optimize the time spent in normally jam-packed stations, and therefore minimize the risk of virus infections on public transit. 

To book an appointment, you must download one of the five authorized apps by the Beijing Metro(all in Chinese) and select a time slot during which you wish to enter the station after signup. Once the process is completed, you will receive a QR code which then can be used for entrance, and is valid for 30min. 

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