Line 13A, part of the capacity expansion and upgrading project of Beijing Subway's Line 13, was officially renamed "Line 18". Line 17 will connect with Line 18 at Tiantongyuandong Station.

At present, the renovation of Tiantongyuandong Station has entered its final phase. The station is scheduled to open and operate synchronously with Line 18 in December 2025.

Line 18 is positioned as the "Huitian Express Line" ("Huitian" is an acronym denoting the Huilongguan and Tiantongyuan regions), operating in an express mode with only a few stations and a maximum design speed of 100 km/h. Together with Line 17, it serves as a "backbone" express line of the rail transit network in northern Beijing. Stretching approximately 30 kilometers in total, the line includes six newly built stations in Changping District. Currently, the main structures of all new stations have been topped out, with Wenhua Road Station making the fastest progress — its "Line 18" sign was already installed on July 31.

Subway Line 18's three newly built stations in Haidian District have all been topped out. 

(Source: Beijing Fabu)