Today (July 1), with the departure of the first train of the comprehensively upgraded Beijing Suburban Railway Sub-Center Line (Beijing West Railway Station - Liangxiang section) (the "Western Section of the Sub-Center Line" for short), the section has officially begun operation.

Three new suburban railway stations for the section, namely Fangshandong Station, Houlvcun Station, and Yamenkoudong Station, have been set up respectively in Fangshan, Fengtai, and Shijingshan districts. According to the timetable, the shortest travel time to Beijing West Railway Station is 23 minutes from Fangshandong Station, and only 10 minutes from Yamenkoudong Station. Direct trips from Yamenkoudong Station in Shijingshan District to Qiaozhuangdong Station in Tongzhou District are also available, with a journey time of 1 hour.

Following the opening of the upgraded Western Section of the Sub-Center Line, the number of trains for the Sub-Center Line has increased to 26, with more frequent services during the morning and evening peak hours. A total of 12 trains provide direct through services between Fangshan and Tongzhou, of which 10 trains reach Beijing Municipal Administrative Center.

According to the timetable, there are six trains departing from Liangxiang Station during the morning commute peak, with the earliest departing at 6:26, arriving at Beijing West Railway Station at 6:55 and Qiaozhuangdong (the terminal station) at 7:41. Between 6:00 and 8:00, there is a train departing roughly every 20 minutes.

Since new stations have been added to the line, running times on this route have been extended compared with before. The line adopts an operation model combining two stopping patterns, namely "all stop" (stopping at all stations) and "express" (stopping only at stations with high passenger volumes), to meet the needs of different passengers.

Liangxiang → Qiaozhuangdong (via Beijing West Railway Station, Zhongcang)

Qiaozhuangdong → Liangxiang (via Zhongcang, Beijing West Railway Station)

(Source: Beijing Daily)