The north section of Beijing subway line 8, also known as part of the line’s second phrase project, will be put into trial operation on Sept. 25.
With the total length of 10.7 kilometers, the north section of subway line 8 covers six stations.
The first phrase of line 8, also known as the Olympic branch line, has started operating since 2008. The north section will be open to the public by the end of this year, while the new south section is expected to start up by the end of 2012.
Beijing subway line 8, which runs along the city's central north-south axis, will pass through six districts, including Changping, Haidian, Chaoyang, Xicheng, Dongcheng and Daxing.
The stations along the line will highlight rich cultural elements. Their roofs will have different colored bars symbolizing the central axis so passengers can easily recognize their location and the different stations.