Beijing opened a new subway line yesterday in a bid to boost public transport and ease road congestion ahead of the Olympics.

Beijing's No 5 subway line, which runs through the heart of the city from north to south, opened at 2:00pm yesterday, when the week-long National Day holiday ended.

The 27.6-km line, after nearly five years' construction, is installed with 23 stations and runs from Tiantongyuan North Station in northern Beijing's Changping district to Songjiazhuang Station in southern Fengtai district.

 BEIJING - Despite a persistent gray haze, officials said Tuesday an exercise that removed more than 1 million private vehicles a day from Beijing's gridlocked streets was a success that could mean a clearer sky during next summer's Olympics.