BEIJING, CHINA: Beijing has recently invested 9 million yuan (more than 1 million US dollars) to improve the emergency system for its subway, reported Tuesday's Beijing News.

The report said the fund was used mainly to buy respirators, install blast shelters and fix fire extinguishers for subway stations and crucial machine rooms along the lines.

Meanwhile, passenger escape passages have been redesigned. Emergency illumination system and direction plates have also been installed to enhance the evacuation ease, the report said.

Currently, the No. 1 and No. 2 subway routes are well equipped with warning, smoke emission and fire control systems, it said.

So far, Beijing has seen operation of three subway routes and another elevated train route with 70 stations and a total length of 114 kilometers. Its passenger capacity exceeded 600 million people last year.

The north-to-south No. 4 and No. 5 lines, plus the east-to-westNo. 10 line are now under construction and supposed to be finishedbefore 2008, when the city will host the Olympic Games

Originally posted on http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-01/11/content_2446558.htm