The 2026 summer travel season began on July 1 and will run until August 31. During this period, the rail transit system faces pressure associated with both the regular commuter volume and the increased tourist passenger flow, amid scorching heat and the peak flood season. In response, Beijing Subway has introduced a comprehensive package of safeguarding measures to ensure smooth trips for all passengers during the travel season.

In anticipation of a significant increase in the tourist volume during the summer travel season, Beijing Subway has strengthened coordination between connecting lines at the "eight railway stations and two airports" of the city and adjusted services in line with railway and flight schedules. Operating hours will be extended based on passenger flow. Ahead of the summer travel season, Tongyun Men Station on Line 6 and several new station entrances/exits were put into service, including Entrance/Exit G at Pingguoyuan Station on Lines 1 and 6, Entrance/Exit C at Huaxiang Dongqiao Station on Fangshan Line, and Entrance/Exit A at Sidao Qiao Station on Line S1, offering greater convenience for passengers.

During the summer travel season, family outings, student groups and travelers carrying bulky luggage increase significantly. Stations near attractions such as Qianmen Street, Shichahai and Universal Beijing Resort have stepped up passenger flow monitoring at key locations, including fare gates and escalators, and are dynamically adjusting crowd management plans. Stations serving major cultural and sporting events have also activated dedicated supporting plans, deploying additional staff to manage crowds during peak periods after events end.

All trains on lines operated by Beijing Subway, with the exception of the Capital Airport Express, have fully adopted a "dual-temperature carriage" system, with temperatures adjusted dynamically based on weather conditions and passenger flow. Stations have also stocked additional heat-relief supplies, including Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui (a type of heat-clearing oral liquid) and cooling balm, to ensure they are readily available to passengers in need.

Passenger services have also been further improved. Shared wheelchair stations at Dongdan Station on Line 5 and Shichahai Station on Line 8 were put into service before the summer travel season, supporting online reservations and returns at a different station. A total of 19 shared massage chairs have been added at six stations, including Ping'anli Station on Line 6 and Beijingxi Zhan (Beijing West Railway Station) Station on Line 9. Shared luggage lockers have also been installed at Universal Resort Station. Stations at the "eight railway stations and two airports" and those near scenic areas are now equipped with multilingual translation devices and fully support tap-to-pay services for five major overseas bank cards. Guomao Station on the Line 1-Batong Line now sells ice cream from time-honored brands, while four stations, including Beijing Zhan (Beijing Railway Station) on Line 2 and Jinyu Hutong Station on Line 8, have opened time-honored yogurt stands, giving passengers more ways to cool down.

To ensure preparedness for both the summer travel season and the flood season, Beijing Subway has set up 24 flood-control supply stations across its network, stocking approximately 1.6 million disposable rain ponchos and 264,000 flood-control sandbags. The rain ponchos have also been upgraded in both material and design. Moving forward, Beijing Subway will continue to closely monitor passenger flow and weather conditions, and further refine its safeguarding measures as needed.

(Source: Official WeChat account of Beijing Subway)