First test run for train on line to Beijing's new Daxing airport

The first phase of a new subway line connecting downtown Beijing to the new international airport under construction south of the city saw its first test run on Saturday, indicating that preparations for the opening of Beijing Daxing International Airport in September are in full swing, according to local officials.

The rail transit line, designed to link the new airport in Daxing district and Caoqiao subway station in Fengtai district, spans 41.4 kilometers and passes through three subway stations in the capital. The train can reach speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour.

Automated subway trains will be used on the new airport line, said Yang Guangwu, chief engineer of the Beijing Major Projects Construction Headquarters Office. When put into operation in September along with the new airport, the trains will be capable of fully automated driverless operation and will be the fastest subway trains in China.