E-tickets for Epidemic Control at Beijing Railway Station

Starting June 20, 2020, China will introduce e-ticketing for normal trains in railway stations nationwide. Except for the S2 line, all railway stations in Beijing have stopped offering paper tickets. Passengers for high-speed trains and normal trains will enter the stations or get on the trains with an ID card or a QR code.

Gate machines have all been upgraded and passengers can get through after swiping their ID cards. The time for scanning has been shortened to only one or two seconds.

New checking machines have been implemented at the second-floor passage, with direction signs stuck on the ground. There is one worker behind each machine, monitoring the status of scanned ID cards. A passenger with luggage can pass within three to five seconds if there is no delay.

According to Sun Haishen, deputy Party chief of Beijing Railway Station, this station is the only railway station in Beijing serving only normal trains. The implementation of e-ticketing will improve convenience for passengers by dramatically shortening the time required for getting in or out of the station.

All-out Efforts for Epidemic Prevention and Control

According to the present policies for epidemic prevention and control, the railway administration reminds passengers not to leave Beijing without urgent need, and those who leave should follow the rules implemented in their destinations and have a certificate showing negative test results conducted within the past seven days.

In the departure hall and security check area, workers in white protective gear are carrying out disinfection work. According to Sun, as Beijing has raised its public health emergency response level, the station has strengthened its epidemic control measures, which include taking passengers’ temperatures by infrared thermometers and increasing monitoring personnel at station entrances and exits. Once a passenger with a high temperature is detected, an alarm will be triggered. The emergency group will take the passenger to another area for a second body temperature test. If the passenger’s temperature still reads high, the station will report to the authorities for epidemic prevention and control for further measures.

Meanwhile, cleaning and disinfecting are also intensified and indoor areas in the station are disinfected once every four hours. Garbage is also disposed of without delay.

At present, the daily number of passengers in Beijing Railway Station has fallen dramatically. Guo Liuming, deputy director of the station, said that the station has cut 50 to 60 pairs of trains considering the decrease of passengers.