Published on : 15/09/2023
The transport infrastructure of the Greater Bay Area has reached a new milestone! The full-scale construction of the Xin-Bai-Guang intercity railway (XBGIC) has been completed and will be commissioned within this year.
The Xin-Bai-Guang intercity railway is an important link between Guangzhou North Railway Station, Guangzhou Baiyun Airport and Shenzhen Airport. Once it is operational, the journey between the two international airports in Shenzhen and Guangzhou will only take 40 minutes.
It is an essential rail transportation project that bridges airline and railway transportation, linking world-class aviation hubs seamlessly. So, how does this new railway bring convenience to the Greater Bay Area?
Connecting north and south Guangzhou with 13 stations
The Xin-Bai-Guang intercity railway passes through Zengcheng District, Huangpu District, Baiyun District and Huadu District of Guangzhou. It runs from Xintang Station in Zengcheng Economic and Technology Development Zone to Guangzhou North Railway Station in Huadu District, with 13 stations, a total length of about 78 kilometres and a speed of 160 kilometres per hour.
The Xin-Bai-Guang intercity railway is a rail transport project for "air-rail intermodal transport" in the Greater Bay Area under the "Guangzhou Municipal Key Construction Projects Plan 2023". It connects to various inter-city railways in the Greater Bay Area via railway, and seamlessly connects to the two major international aviation hubs.
The starting point of the Xin-Bai-Guang intercity railway is the Xintang Station. Along the route, it runs northwards to the Zengcheng Economic and Technological Development Zone, the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, the Guangzhou Baiyun Airport and the Guangzhou North Railway Station. The railway brings together important areas for talent and economic development.
Interlinking four major transfer stations: 40 minutes from Shenzhen Bao'an to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport
The 13 stations provide multiple transfer hub points, forming a comprehensive transportation network.
Xintang Station connects to Guangzhou Metro Line 13 and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen intercity railway. Zhenlong Station connects to Guangzhou Metro Line 21. Matouzhuang Station is connected to the Knowledge City Extension of Guangzhou Metro Line 14. Zhuzi Station is connected to Guangzhou Metro Line 14 for interchange with Guangzhou Metro Line 14, providing access to all districts in Guangzhou.
Notably, the Xin-Bai-Guang intercity railway significantly shortened the distance between Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport.
From Xintang Station to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, the travelling time is drastically reduced to 20 minutes. From Baiyun Airport to Shenzhen Airport, it takes only 40 minutes. With the two major international airports in the Greater Bay Area connected in less than an hour, we will be able to better utilise our complementary advantages in the future.
The Xin-Bai-Guang intercity railway connects numerous intercity railways
The Xin-Bai-Guang intercity railway also acts as a comprehensive hub connecting various intercity railways in the Greater Bay Area, including the Guangzhou-Shenzhen intercity railway, the Guangzhou-Qingyuan intercity railway, and the Guangzhou-Huizhou intercity railway.
The Xin-Bai-Guang intercity railway connects to the Guangzhou-Shenzhen intercity railway in the south, linking the intercity railways of Guangzhou, Dongguan, and Shenzhen, connecting the main trunk lines of the Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region intercity railway. This makes travelling more convenient for residents living in these three districts.
Upon commissioning, people can connect to the Guangzhou-Qingyuan Intercity Railway from Huadu Station near to the Baiyun Airport to reach Qingyuan. They can also transfer from Xintang Station to Guangzhou East Station or Guangzhou South Station to connect to the national high-speed railway network. The railway will also provide direct access to Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
In future, there will be an extra rail transport option for those planning to head north from Hong Kong to Baiyun Airport.
Read More: Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link resumes operation with a new station opens
As for Guangzhou South Station, it connects to the soon-to-be-opened Fojiang Intercity and Guangfohuan Line, linking Foshan West Station and other major national comprehensive railway networks.
Connected to Foshan-Dongguan intercity and Guangzhou-Foshan south ring intercity
In the "Guangzhou City 2023 Key Construction Project Plan", besides the Xin-Bai-Guang intercity railway, upcoming projects include the "Fojiang Intercity"" (Guangzhou South Station to Wanghong Station section), and "Guangfo South Ring" (Foshan West Station to Guangzhou South Station section), making Guangzhou home to three major rail transportation hubs.
Among them, "Guangfo South Ring" is the major artery connecting Guangzhou West to Foshan, which will in the future, be linked with "Fo-Zhao Line" (Foshan West to Zhaoqing section) to form "Guang-Zhao Intercity" line.
"Fojiang Intercity", on the other hand, connects eastward to Dongguan, linking with Dongguan-Huizhou Intercity to form "Guang-Hui Intercity" line.
When both "Fojiang Intercity" and "Guangfo South Ring" start operation, together with "Xin-Bai-Guang intercity railway", they will essentially cover county-level cities and Tier-3 town centres in the Pearl River Delta region, facilitating the formation of a "one-hour commuter circle" centred in Guangzhou and serving the nine cities in the Greater Bay Area.
Read More: First "Science Rail Line" in the Greater Bay Area
