From midnight on January 26, China's railway system has officially implemented a new train timetable. Under this new schedule, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei high-speed rail loop line began operation for the first time, and the minimum headway on the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway was reduced to three minutes, further enhancing the connectivity and hub function of the Beijing railway network.

At 6:48 on January 26, the G8859 train departed from Beijingxi (West) Railway Station, stopping at Baodingdong (East) Railway Station and Baiyangdian Railway Station in sequence before terminating at Tianjinxi (West) Railway Station. It then continued its journey as train G8864, departing from Tianjinxi, stopping at Daxing Airport Railway Station, and returning to Beijingxi Railway Station, forming a closed-loop service.

Following the launch of the high-speed rail loop line, Trains G8859/60 and G8861/62 running non-stop from Beijingxi Railway Station to Baiyangdian Railway Station have their operation times precisely aligned with the morning and evening peak commuting patterns. The shortest travel time from Beijingxi Railway Station to Baiyangdian Railway Station in the Xiong'an New Area is only 65 minutes, about 30 minutes faster than the intercity trains previously operating from Beijingnan (South) Railway Station and Beijing Fengtai Railway Station to Baiyangdian Railway Station during peak hours in the morning.

The latest railway timetable adjustment has also brought new changes to the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway. For instance, the number of scheduled trains at Beijingnan Railway Station has reached 266.5 pairs, with 168 trains on the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway renumbered. The minimum headway on the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway has also been shortened to 3 minutes, allowing up to 3 train groups to run within an hour at peak times. In addition, more flagship trains have been added for the morning and evening peak hours.

Beijingnan Railway Station has also increased four pairs of trains on the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, namely G1/G32 and G35/G2 bound for Shanghai, G43/G42 bound for Hangzhou, and G743/G744 bound for Kaihua. With these new additions, the total number of scheduled trains on the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway has reached 140 pairs.

On January 26, the P1 Smart Parking Lot at Beijingnan Railway Station (formerly the B1 floor of the west underground area of Beijingnan Railway Station) was officially put into operation.

The P1 Smart Parking Lot is now integrated with data systems from major ride-hailing platforms. Passengers can track real-time updates on their vehicle's location via mobile phones or locate their cars on high-definition LED screens in the designated pick-up area. Meanwhile, the online ride-hailing platform systems have adopted restrictive measures such as suspending order reception for online ride-hailing vehicles that fail to park at the designated pick-up spots, thus regulating the parking order from the root.

Not only is it faster to locate your ride, but the waiting experience has also been significantly improved. A dedicated 800-square-meter waiting area for ride-hailing passengers has been built in the P1 Parking Lot, equipped with 258 seats and a distinct animal-themed color zoning system. Eco-friendly anti-slip flooring, upgraded lighting, and a separated flow design for pedestrians and vehicles further enhance both safety and comfort for waiting passengers.

(Source: Beijing Youth Daily)