Passengers wait on the platform as a subway train approaches at a Beijing subway station in this March 5, 2007 photo.

Beijing resident Ms. Zhang travels on the Batong subway line everyday between home and work to avoid the traffic jam above ground. However, she has to face another problem during her daily trip -- how to get on the crowded train.

"Sometimes I have to wait for the next train to get on, but it's the same situation," she sighed. "Many people are waiting on the platform, and people in the train have trouble getting out. To avoid being late, I have to push others to get into the coach. Even after I successfully get on the train, I am squeezed next to others and I can't touch any handrails. What's worse is that the air is smelly due to so many people on the train. Although I'm only on the train for a short time, I feel frustrated and exhausted every time," Ms. Zhang said resignedly.

She is not the only Beijing local who experiences a tough time commuting every weekday. With the development of the subway system, more and more Beijing residents choose to travel by subway rather than bus or taxi to escape the traffic jam.

For example Batong line is connected to subway Line 1, the longest east-west subway line in Beijing. And many people choose to live near the Batong line because it's in the outskirts of the city where people can commute into the city. But it's an uphill battle to get to and from work everyday.

Crowed coaches and terrible air quality cause quarrels, even fights on the train. "I witnessed an argument between a young woman and a man; she claimed she was almost suffocating due to the pushing and poor air quality," Ms. Zhang explained. "But you cannot blame the man. It was not his fault. There were too many passengers."

According to a survey by Beijing based newspaper Star Daily, on weekday morning, some coaches may hold over 300 and up to 400 people and this is nearly the same amount of passengers waiting on the platform at the next station. At the interchange station, passengers push their way up the stairs to transfer to Line 1. It takes them 5 minutes just to leave the junction station.

To solve the problem of overcrowding, the Beijing metro Corp plans to shorten the intervals between departures during rush hour from 5 minutes to 4 minutes by the end of this year. Though many passengers have suggested adding more coaches to the trains, the Beijing metro Corp said this is not possible due to technical reasons.

(China Daily April 26, 2007)