Beijing to decide on ticket prices for airport rail

By Yang Lifei  |   2008-6-26  |     ONLINE EDITION

A HEARING will be held on Wednesday to discuss ticket prices for the Beijing Capital International Airport Rail Line, which have been preliminarily set at 25 yuan (US$3.6) or 30 yuan for a one-way trip, Xinhuanet.com reported.

Compared with a 2-yuan ticket for the city's five metro lines, the price for the airport rail line is extremely high.

However, officials of Beijing Airport Express Rail Co said this line would have better service than other public transport in the city. The price will be based on construction and operational costs, as well as passenger's consumption power.

At present, there are three ways to get to Beijing Capital International Airport – bus, taxi and private vehicles. If a passenger sets off at Dongzhimen, 23 kilometers from the airport, the airport bus will cost 16 yuan, a taxi 67 yuan and a private car 40 yuan.

``The price of 25 yuan or 30 yuan is definitely lower than that of a taxi or a private car, however, the airport rail line is more punctual and fast compared to a bus,'' company officials told Xinhuanet. ``A group of taxi passengers and private car owners may choose to take the train, which may help reduce traffic jams around the airport.''

There will be four stops on the airport rail line, but the price will be the same for each stop.

`` The distance between every stop is not very long and air passengers prefer single ticket prices because it's simple and convenient,'' they told the Website.

The airport rail line is expected to handle about 12.2 million passengers every year, about 16.1 percent of total passengers passing in and out of the airport every year, if the ticket is priced at 25 yuan. The number will drop to 10.32 million if the price is set at 30 yuan.

The representatives to the hearing are made up of 25 members, 11 of whom are consumers recommended by the Beijing Consumers' Rights Protection Association. Ten are from government departments and universities and the remaining four represent the metro company.