City to Enable Subway Access with Overseas Bank Cards

  

Source: OT-Team(G),北京日报

  In the future, foreigners will be able to use the BEIJING PASS to swipe through subway gates and ride the Beijing metro system.

  To facilitate travel for foreign passengers, Beijing plans to introduce the BEIJING PASS, an international transit card. Beijing subway stations are currently conducting on-site tests in preparation for its launch.

Subway Card Payment to Support MasterCard and Other Foreign Cards

  As of June 1, 335 stations across 17 lines of the Beijing subway have installed POS machines, allowing foreign passengers to purchase tickets and pay for rides using foreign bank cards. Soon, services such as gate swiping, single-journey ticket purchases, and fare top-ups with MasterCard and other foreign cards will be gradually implemented.

  Additionally, to ensure the smooth launch of the BEIJING PASS, subway stations are conducting tests. The card is expected to be available to foreign passengers at "seven stations and two airports" (seven major railway stations and two airports), making it convenient for them to use the Beijing metro system.

Translation Devices Used Over a Thousand Times at Eight Stations

  Beijing Subway has piloted multilingual translation devices at eight stations: Tiananmen West on Line 1 and Batong Line, Dongzhimen on Line 2, Beijing Railway Station on Line 2, Nanluoguxiang on Line 6, Olympic Park on Line 8, Xierqi on Line 13, Maquanying on Line 15, and Universal Resort on Line 1 Batong Line and Line 7. These devices support multiple languages and have been used over a thousand times so far. The most frequently used stations are Tiananmen West and Dongzhimen.

  To further assist foreign passengers, personalized bilingual announcements have been added at "seven stations and two airports" and around tourist attractions. These announcements are activated or switched as needed, effectively reducing the number of inquiries from foreign passengers.