Peking plans the largest metro system in the world

Beijing - The Chinese metropolis of Beijing plans to create the world's largest subway system by 2020. The Beijing metro is expected to have 561 kilometers of track, surpassing the current record held by London's underground, reported the China Daily today. The system, which according to the paper is still awaiting government approval, is set to have 19 lines serving transportation to all major districts of the mentioned Chinese megacity.
    Currently, the four lines of the Beijing metro with a total length of 115 kilometers transport 1.5 million people daily, and three more lines will be put into operation before the Olympic Games in 2008.
    London currently has 11 subway lines, which transport over three million passengers a day across 408 kilometers of track.
    The estimated cost of the planned expansion of the Beijing metro has not been disclosed, but the Chinese metropolis is investing 40 billion dollars, or about 880 billion crowns, in improving infrastructure, including road and rail transport, before the Olympics.