Subway Installs Cashless Fare Reloaders, Streamlined Check-Ins

If your morning subway commute is a shoulder to shoulder, claustrophobia-inducing living nightmare, then brace yourself for some much needed good news. Cashless subway prepaid card reloading machines and a new streamlined check-in process both appear to be undergoing trial runs at a handful of Beijing subway stations, boding well for anyone hoping to reduce the hassle of their tube trips.

We spotted these cashless subway card reloading machines on Jan 4 at Qingnianlu subway station

We spotted some of the cashless subway card top-up machines, which sport scanners for your subway swipe card and accept both WeChat Wallet and Alipay, at Qingnianlu subway station earlier this week. There were a few major drawbacks-- the machine has no English yet, meaning your Mandarin reading has to be strong to use it. It also doesn't issue fapiao, meaning there's still plenty of incentive for us to still use the old-fashioned counter once in a while.

Regardless, many Chinese (and bilingual foreign) riders are sure to be pleased by this development, relieving some of the dismay that comes with the realization upon swiping that your card is empty, a chore that can be compounded by the fact that many of us now leave our wallets at home.

The machines accept both Alipay and WeChat Wallet

Sixteen of these top-up machines are reported to have been set up across eight Beijing subway stations, including:

• Guomao (Line 1 and 10)
  

• Qingnianlu (Line 6)
  

• Wangjing (Line 14 and 15)
  

• Wangjing East (Line 15)
  

• Beishatan (Line 15)
  

• Guanqumennei (Line 7)
  

• Shoujingmao (Line 10)
  

• Fengtai Science Park (Line 9)
  

Select your top-up value

Place you card in the reader

Some screenshots of the cashless top up machine's interface and instructions

There's no word yet on whether these e-pay reloaders will be installed at every subway station across town. What would be even better though is an app that would allow us to scan a QR code and hop on the train, a service that is currently available only to those who don't have iPhones.

While we're at it, another improvement to streamline the system would be to do away with the airport-style conveyor belt scans, such as they've done at Fragrant Hills station, replacing them instead with only handheld scanners. Popular transit blogger David Feng recently Tweeted about the chance, saying it "simplified" the entry process before adding, "Full body scanners or X-ray machines apparently not used now at this station." Feng went on to tell the Beijinger that we shouldn't be surprised by such forward-thinking changes at Fragrant Hills, despite its far-flung location, because "it's run by the bus company, which has less elaborate security checks," though he went on to quip that this month's tram derailing had lowered his overall ranking of the station.

Additionally, if the transit authorities truly want to make subway riding more convenient for Beijingers, Feng says that wait times between trains need to be shortened. "Also add more trains during non-peak hours," he says, before pointing to the newer, brisker Line 4 as "your best comrade-to-learn-from here."

He's also irked by transfers to extended lines, like Line 1 to the Batong Line and Yanfang and Fangshan. Yet his biggest gripe of all may be the same issue that befalls the cashless top-up machines, which lack bilingual text. "Add better English signage" to the subway system in general, he implores Beijing's urban planners, adding: "Chinese is hard for its myriad of characters." We won't hold our breath.

Finally, an even more promising development for those who regularly transfer at the proverbial inner circle of hell, i.e. Guomao, is that reports have emerged that the insanely busy, labyrinth-like station is set to undergo a major revamp that will include increased direct exits to the outside world, as well as a four-floor shopping mall, including restaurants. and other snazzy amenities.

Photos: Toby, Zhidao.baidu.com, Twitter, 北青社区报CBD版

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