Beijing opened two new subway lines on Sunday, delayed from a planned late-June start but just in time to carry passengers banned from their cars as the capital tries to clean up its skies before next month’s Olympics.

Passenger service has yet to start, however, on a third line that will serve the Olympic Green and was the site of an opening ceremony and test ride for the media on Sunday morning.

An official with the Beijing subway operating company said it was not clear when the line would begin regular service.

The three new lines, which cost 22.3 billion yuan ($3.3 billion) to build and are part of massive infrastructure plans to ease transport during the Games, will increase the city’s subway lines to eight and expand their reach by 40 percent to 200 km (125 miles).

Eager crowds rushed through the turnstyles when the airport line formally opened in the afternoon.

Inside subway cars on the Number 10 line, a commuter route, many watched clips of professional basketball games on video screens that are also due to carry live shots of the Olympics.

In addition to shuttling Olympic visitors around town, the new lines will boost transport options for Beijing’s residents, whose rising wealth has triggered a boom in car ownership and severely worsened the city’s chronic smog and traffic jams.

The Beijing authorities, eager to improve air quality before the Games start on August 8, will restrict vehicle use to alternate days for even and odd numbered licence plates starting yesterday.

This will require an additional 4 million people to rely on the public transport system, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

No problems mentioned

While the new lines’ maiden journeys went off with no apparent hitches, Zhou Zhengyu, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Committee of Communications, sidestepped a question at a Thursday news conference about whether there would be enough time to iron out any kinks before the Games kick off.

Nor did he say if there had been any problems with construction that might have delayed the opening, originally due by late June.

Beijing has largely avoided the problems the last Olympic host, Athens, encountered with delayed infrastructure projects, and has won praise from the International Olympic Committee for finishing venue construction work either on time or ahead of schedule.

Reuters

Transport workers in Italy have gone on strike, forcing the cancellation of thousands of bus, tram and subway lines and snarling traffic across the country.

Railway workers have been on a 24-hour strike since 9 p.m. Sunday. Local transport workers went on strike at 8:30 a.m. in Rome and 15 minutes later in Milan.

The railway company says some commuter trains will continue running. Labor unions says service will be guaranteed during the morning and evening rush hours.

The unions called the strikes to put pressure on upcoming contract renewal talks.

Tube users are able to watch moving advertising images and film trailers while they wait for their next train.

The high quality images, the size of a 14ft (168in) TV screen, are being projected on walls opposite platforms at five London Underground stations.

Piccadilly Circus, Euston, Bank, Liverpool Street and Bond Street have been fitted with the High Definition projectors and giant soundless screens. It follows a successful trial at Euston tube station.

Richard Parry, from London Underground, said: “We believe that this technology will enhance passengers’ journeys.

“The Tube has a history of innovation; these hi-tech screens are a perfect complement to the major upgrade work carried out by London Underground in delivering a world-class Tube for a world-class city.”

Further stations are due to host the new cross-track projection (XTP) technology which allows the digital images to be projected on the walls opposite platforms.

This will take the number of screens to 150.

Any profits London Underground receive from XTP will be reinvested by London Underground to improve the Tube.

London Underground and CBS, which has installed the system, have been developing XTP for more than three years.

The first ever team building in our organization was unforgettable and gave me a one hell experience of a lifetime. The announcement tells that we were going to a beach but it turns out it was with a twist. Around 10 kms away from the beach area, our bus stopped. They told us that we had to go down and wouldn’t be able to continue passing the road anymore because there are some people training in that area. Unknowingly, we followed their instructions. The guide told us that if we climb the mountain, there’s a shortcut leading us to the beach on the other side. Together with our baggage on our back, we started to take a hike.

When we reached some heights, we heard gunshots. We were afraid because the forest is known to be flocked with bandits. So our instinct is to go down on the ground and crawl our way from there. The gunshots lasted for just a minute because I was so scared. My thought was, why would I die like this?! Then after the gunshots ended, the guide told us to get up on our feet. We realized that it was just a set-up. Although live bullets were used, it were never meant to hurt us. It was all part of the trip. So we continue to climb the mountain. I was so exhausted because it was so high and the guide told us that the beach was just on the other side. It was a 2 hour walk with occasional stops to rest. My backpack is really heavy and to be honest, I don’t feel like it is that heavy. My focus is to climb and try not to fall in the cliff.

Finally, we have reached the beach area and it was all worth it. We were so relieved that we could take a dip in the water. On our way back, thank God we didn’t have to walk. Everything was a set-up.

Referred by Riyanne