Line 8 (Beijing Subway)

The first southbound train departs from Zhuxinzhuang at 5:10am. The first northbound train departs from National Art Museum at 5:27am.[3]

The last southbound train leaves Zhuxinzhuang at 10:05pm. The last northbound train leaves National Art Museum at 11:05pm.[3]

The first south-bound train departs from Zhushikou at 5:50am. The first north-bound train departs from Yinghai at 5:15am.[3]

The last south-bound train leaves Zhushikou at 11:35pm. The last north-bound train leaves Yinghai at 11:00pm.[3]

In the north, Line 8 begins at Zhuxinzhuang on the Changping Line and heads east to Huilongguan Residential Area and then south through the Line 13 arc at Huoying, to the Olympic Green station on Line 15. The line enters the Line 10 loop at Beitucheng and then the Line 2 loop at Guloudajie before reaching Nanluoguxiang on Line 6, and then to National Art Museum.

Apart from the Zhuxinzhuang station and an 1.7 km (1.1 mi) section of elevated track leading therefrom, the entire line runs underground.

The south section of Line 8, from Zhushikou to Yinghai, is 16.4 km long and has a 2.06 km elevated section. All stations are underground, except for Demao and Yinghai stations, which are elevated.

Line 8 was planned as the subway line that follows Beijing's central north-south axis.[6][7] The first section of Line 8 to be built was the four-station segment from Beitucheng to South Gate of Forest Park, 4.35 km (2.70 mi) in length, that serves the Olympic Green. This section was included in Beijing's bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics, which was awarded to the city in 2001. Originally, Beijing's subway planners also considered building a subway extension line off of Line 13 or Line 5 to serve the Olympic Green but ultimately chose to build Line 8 as a branch off of Line 10.[8] Construction began in 2004.[9] With other Olympic venues also under construction, Phase I of Line 8 was built using the cut-and-cover method to reduce the difficulty of construction.[10] The Olympic Branch Line, as Line 8 Phase I was known, entered into operation together with Line 10 on July 19, 2008. It serves the Olympic Green, located due north of the city centre, during the 2008 Summer Olympics. The Phase I only included 4 stations. Access was originally restricted to riders with an Olympic Register Card or a ticket to an event at the Olympic Games or Paralympic Games on the day of the event. In early October 2008, the line was fully opened to the public.

On December 8, 2007, while Phase I of Line 8 was still under construction, work began on Phase II to extend Line 8 in both directions along the city's north-south central axis.[11] In Phase II was estimated to cost ¥10.1 billion and was scheduled to be completed by 2012.[12][13]

The northern extension to Huilongguan Dongdajie, 10.7 km (6.6 mi) in length with 6 stations, extended Line 8 from the South Gate of Forest Park to Huilongguan Dongdajie in Changping District beyond the Line 13 arc. Land clearing for Phase II began in December 2007.[12][14] Tunnel boring machines began work on October 16, 2009.[15] In the fall of 2011, the entire Line 8 shut down and the entire line including the Phase II northern extension reopened on December 31, 2011.[15][16]

The Lincuiqiao station, just west of the Olympic Forest Park, was originally planned as an emergency stop, but was added at the behest of nearby residents and their municipal people's congress representative, Tian Yuan, who argued that the 5.1 km (3.2 mi) gap between South Gate of Forest Park and Yongtaizhuang made subway access inconvenient for residents along Lincui Road.[17] Lincuiqiao was officially added as a station to Phase II plans in December 2008.

The southern extension to Guloudajie, 3.28 km (2.04 mi) in length, opened on December 30, 2012. Travel time from Huilongguan to the Second Ring Road was reduced by a half-hour.[18] Daily ridership reached 203,000 in March 2013.[19]

On December 28, 2013, Line 8 reached 26.614 km (16.537 mi) in length with the opening of the Changping-Line 8 Connector and the southern extension to Nanluoguxiang.[20][21]

Line 8 train at the Zhuxinzhuang Station

The Changping-Line 8 Connector, also known as the Changba Connector Line (昌八联络线) or Changba Connector, is a 6.3-kilometre-long (3.9 mi) extension of Line 8 from Huilongguan Dongdajie to Zhuxinzhuang on the Changping Line.[20] The Changba Connector contains three stations: Pingxifu, Yuzhilu and Zhuxinzhuang, and forms the northern-most section of Line 8.[20] The Changba Connector was designed to alleviate passenger traffic on Line 13 by allowing Changping Line riders heading to destinations in eastern Beijing to switch to Line 8 at Zhuxingzhuang instead of transferring to Line 13 at Xi'erqi. The connector was built from April 2011 to September 2013 and entered operation at the end of 2013.[20][21]

South of Guloudajie, Line 8 was extended a further 2.16 km (1.34 mi) through Shichahai station to Nanluoguxiang station on December 28, 2013.[22]

The one-station extension from Nanluoguxiang to National Art Museum was opened on 30 December 2018[23][24].

In Phase III & IV, Line 8 will be extended further south from the National Art Museum through Qianmen and Yongdingmen to beyond the southern 5th Ring Road. The line will veer to the east of the central axis to avoid passing under the Forbidden City and Tian'anmen Square, before returning to the central axis alignment at Qianmen.

Planning began in 2009.[25] Plans of Line 8 in Phase III & IV showed 16 stations for 21.0 km (13.0 mi).[26] Phase III includes 14 stations and Phase IV includes 2 stations, Demao and Yinghai. Phase III was scheduled to be built by 2015[27] but the commencement of construction was not set to begin until October 2013.[28]

On 30 December 2018, the southern-most section of Phase III, and Phase IV, from Zhushikou to Yinghai was opened (12 stations were opened, Dahongmen was not opened)[29][24].

The section between National Art Museum and Zhushikou, which includes 3 stations (Jinyu Hutong, Wangfujing and Qianmen) will be opened in 2021.[26]