In its latest push to improve multimodal connections, Beijing launched a pilot program on Sunday allowing passengers to bring compliant bicycles onto the subway, according to the official website of the Beijing Municipality government.

The pilot service, named "Rail + Cycling," will be launched at 11 stations across four subway lines — Line 6, Line 17, the Changping Line, and the S1 Line.

At these stations, passengers will be allowed to bring two-wheeled bicycles with wheel diameters no larger than 71 centimeters into stations and onto trains. The program will be available throughout operating hours on weekends only, and will not be available on weekdays or public holidays.

The pilot program is a refined improvement built on existing transfer connections, which helps better integrate cycling with the subway system and improve the overall efficiency of green travel, Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday.

In terms of ticketing, the pilot program will adopt a dedicated fare system for cyclists, with a flat fare of 30 yuan per trip. The fare covers one passenger and one bicycle for a single journey on participating subway lines on the same day, with no time limit imposed, according to the government website.

Passengers can purchase tickets through the Yitongxing mobile app for regular weekend operating hours within the next 30 calendar days. Unused tickets can be refunded online, while tickets not used before the specified date will be automatically refunded through the original payment channel.

Previously, bicycles that met the corresponding standards could be brought onto the subway. According to the Beijing Rail Transit Passenger Code, items carried by passengers (including bicycles) must not exceed 30 kilograms in weight, 1.8 meters in length, and 0.5 meters in both width and height.

The latest pilot service offers a more flexible option for bicyclers, expanding the previous rules to better accommodate cycling commuters, the Global Times learned from a Beijing Subway staff member on Sunday.

The staff member said that only single-seat, human-powered bicycles are permitted on the subway.

Passengers are required to cooperate with staff at the security checkpoint for bicycle size verification, but the bicycles themselves do not need to go through a separate security screening. The staff member noted that once a bicycle meets the required standards, it will be covered with a protective cover before being brought into the subway.

Overall, this new pilot service reflects a trend in public transport services toward more precise and user-oriented development, making short-distance connections more convenient and offering residents a richer and more everyday set of green mobility options, said Wang.

On a further note, the expert said that from an urban governance perspective, this initiative may help ease traffic congestion as Beijing, a megacity, is also making new explorations and attempts in the governance of large urban systems.

While the model has promising prospects, Wang said that it also places higher demands on subway operation and transport management departments, including stronger coordination in scheduling and more integrated management platforms.