v0.1.0 // BEIJING CASE STUDY & NETWORK ANALYTICS
Beijing Subway: 24-Hour Network Cartography, Topology & Resilience Case Study
Empirical graph-theoretic modeling, passenger flow dynamics, and intermodal connectivity across 25 rapid transit corridors and 414 stations carrying over 11.2 million daily passengers.
Total Station Nodes
414
Physical station complexes (490+ platforms)
Route Network Length
836.0 km
Operational rapid transit trackage
Daily Passenger Volume
11.2M Pax
Average workday (Peak 13.75M single-day)
Minimum Peak Headway
100 sec
Line 1 & Line 4 morning peak frequency
Concentric Ring Loop
57.1 km
Line 10 (World's #2 longest metro loop)
Peak Operating Velocity
160 km/h
Daxing Airport Express Cinova EMU
Beijing Rapid Transit Cartography & Interactive Topology Interactive spatial vector layer with topological node filtering and hub inspection
Xizhimen
西直门
Degree 3
CONNECTING LINES: Line 2, Line 4, Line 13
BETWEENNESS CENTRALITY: 0.0842 (Top 1%)
INTERMODAL FACILITY: Beijing North Railway Station (HSR)
Ring vs. Radial Structural Architecture Empirical comparison of concentric orbital manifolds vs. radial feeder spines
CONCENTRIC ORBITAL MANIFOLDS The Dual Concentric Rings (Line 2 & Line 10)

Beijing Subway uses a hierarchical dual-ring topology to prevent overloading the central historic core. Line 2 (23.1 km) follows the Ming/Qing inner wall perimeter, while Line 10 (57.1 km) serves as the world's second longest metro ring line, intersecting 24 radial routes to distribute cross-city passenger flow without requiring downtown transit.

Line 10 Loop Length
57.1 km
Line 10 Daily Pax
1.95M / day
Radial Transfer Points
24 Interchanges
Operating Headway
120s Peak
RADIAL COMMUTER CORRIDORS The 18 Radial Spines & Satellite Arterials

High-density radial trunk lines connect peripheral satellite towns (Changping, Daxing, Tongzhou Sub-Center, Shunyi, Fangshan, and Yizhuang) into the employment centroids of Zhongguancun, Financial Street, and Guomao CBD. Heavy directional tidal flow during morning and evening rush hours is balanced by cross-platform interchange geometry.

Total Radial Lines
18 Spines
Max Line Length
54.4 km (Line 1)
Highest Radial Flow
1.35M (Line 1/Batong)
Tightest Headway
100s (Line 1 & 4)
Systemic Chokepoint & Disruption Resilience Simulator Simulate the cascade impact of major transfer interchange outages across the Beijing graph
Disrupted Station Node
Xizhimen (西直门)
Impacted Trunk Lines
Line 2, Line 4, Line 13
Severed Transfer Pairs
3 Transfer Pairs Severed
Network Shock Index
42.9% Network Shock
Betweenness Centrality ($C_B$)
0.0842
Operational Vulnerability
CRITICAL CHOKEPOINT
Daily Passenger Volume & Flow Stress Intensity Line-by-line ridership volume (Millions of passengers per day) and minimum operating headway benchmarks
High-Speed Rail (HSR) & Airport Intermodal Gateways Direct national railway terminals, airport express lines, and mutual security check integration ("安检互认")
Rolling Stock, Velocity Spectrum & Traction Systems Engineering specifications across 70 km/h modern tramway, 80-100 km/h heavy rail, 80 km/h maglev, and 160 km/h express EMUs
70 km/h
Modern Light Rail Tramway
Western Suburb Line (西郊线)

5-module 100% low-floor tramway with DC 750V overhead catenary serving the Summer Palace and Fragrant Hills national park.

80 km/h
Standard Metro Heavy Rail (6B / 8B)
Lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, Yizhuang, Fangshan

Core workhorse fleet utilizing DC 750V third rail or DC 1500V catenary with CBTC GoA2 signaling achieving 100s minimum headway.

80 km/h Maglev
Medium-Low Speed Maglev
S1 Line (S1线)

Permanent magnet electromagnetic suspension (EMS) contact rail transit navigating mountainous western Mentougou terrain.

100 km/h
High-Capacity Heavy Rail Express (8A)
Line 6, Line 15, Line 17, Changping Line

High-capacity 8-car wide-body A-type trains (2,500 pax capacity) operating at 100 km/h with GoA4 automated driverless signaling.

120 km/h
Central High-Speed Urban Express
Line 19 (19号线快线)

High-speed 120 km/h wide-body 8A express corridor linking northern IT clusters to Financial Street and Caoqiao City Air Terminal.

160 km/h
High-Speed Automated Regional EMU
Daxing Airport Express (大兴机场线)

China's fastest automated metro (160 km/h Cinova D-type EMU) covering 41.4 km from central Caoqiao to Daxing Airport in 19 minutes.

Network Expansion Chronology (1969 - 2026) Historical milestone progression from China's first subway to the world's highest-ridership mega-grid
24-Hour Diurnal Fleet & Headway Intensity Profile Hourly active revenue train counts and operating modes
Time Window Active Fleet Count Diurnal Operating Mode Nominal Headway
Strategic Transfer Interchanges by Degree & Betweenness Ranked by graph degree ($k$) and structural betweenness centrality ($C_B$)
Rank Interchange Station Degree Betweenness ($C_B$) Connecting Lines Vulnerability Score
Beijing Rapid Transit 25-Line Technical Registry Comprehensive operator specifications across all 25 operational corridors
Corridor Identifier Corridor Type Length (km) Max Speed Rolling Stock Automation Level Daily Ridership Timetabled 24h Runs