Staff work overtime to ensure smooth transition of Beijing subway adjustment
工作人员确保地铁票价调整顺利过渡

While it may take some time for passengers to get acquainted with the increased fares, for the staff at Beijing's subway system, the preparation for this day has been a long time in the making.

This woman is proudly holding the very last 2 yuan subway ticket before Beijing’s subway system shut down on last night to prepare for a new era of pricing.

Just five hours to go, and some 14,000 machines need updates, it's a sleepless night for employees of the Chinese capital's subway system, like Xu Qunzhu.

"We’ve had eight months of preparation for tonight. We have a lot of work to do. First we have to check and record the old parameters, and then enter the new ones. And then we have to double-check to make sure there are no mistakes," Xu says.

And after a full night's work, the moment of truth finally arrives, albeit a more expensive one. Subway rides are now distance-based, costing anywhere from three to nine yuan.

And figuring out how much money your ride will cost is pretty straightforward, just find your destination on the map and the number indicates the cost.

"From Jintai Road to Haidianhuangzhuang station, there are obviously different routes you can take. But we will only charge you for the shortest route, no matter which one you take, so it will always cost six yuan," says Gu Xuefeng, a Beijing subway staff.

But now matter how much preparation you make, there will always be some issues to iron out when the system goes live.

"We have already handled more than 20 incidents where the passenger's trip was longer than what they paid for. We expect we'll have to deal with a lot more problems come rush-hour tomorrow," says Li Hongxiang, a Beijing subway staff.

One new subway line and three new sections of existing lines were also opened today. Brand new stations will now facilitate popular destinations that were previously inaccessible by subway, such as the 798 Art District and Chaoyang Park.

Beijing's buses also begin implementing a new distance-based pricing system today.