Design and Construction
The terminus occupies a 32 hectare site in Fengtai.
The enormous oval-shaped station was designed by the British architect firm of Terry Farrell and Partners in collaboration with the Tianjin Design Institute. It was built from more than 60,000 tons of steel and 490,000 cubic meters of concrete by 4,000 workers in less than three years. The glass ceiling is outfitted with 3,246 solar panels to generate electricity. The structure spreads out like a ray or trilobite and covers 320,000 square meters, more than the Beijing National Stadium's 258,000 m2. Its 24 platforms have the capacity to dispatch 30,000 passengers per hour or 241,920,000 a year. The 251,000 m2 waiting area can accommodate 10,000 passengers.
On the elevated concourse level, there are designated waiting areas and VIP lounges (with better seating and, in the lounges, free food and snacks) for passengers travelling in First Class or Business Class. There are also a number of manned ticket counters (where tickets can be bought for a train anywhere in the country) and an increasing number of retail stores and fast food stalls. Automated ticket machines are available to holders of the PRC ID card and sell tickets for trains departing from this station.
Read more about this topic: Beijing South Railway Station
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