Beijing began reconstruction of its109-year-old southern railway
station with a controlled explosion on Saturday morning to make way
for its modern replacement.
The project includes new tracks as well as a new station
building, according to the Beijing Railway Bureau.
The Beijing South Railway Station was closed on Wednesday and
all trains in and out were diverted to three other stations in the
city.
The city will invest 6.3 billion yuan (US$787.5 million) in a
new terminus serving high-speed trains due to be completed in
2007.
The new station, 500 meters from its original location, will
cover 26,000 square meters, the second largest in the city after
the Beijing West Railway Station.
With 13 platforms and 24 tracks, it will serve the inter-city
line between Beijing and Tianjin and the Beijing-Shanghai
high-speed railway.
The original Beijing South Railway Station was built in 1897 and
underwent a major renovation in 1958. Before its closure, it served
mainly slow trains on the Beijing-Guangdong line.
(Xinhua News Agency May 14, 2006)