CHINA: A 240 km east-west high speed line connecting Guangzhou Dong station with Shanwei opened on September 26.
Extra tracks have been laid alongside the existing four-track alignment over the 53 km from Guangzhou Dong to a junction east of Xintang, where the new line diverges. These tracks are designed for 200 km/h operation.
A major interchange is being developed at Xintang, which is located at the north end of the Guangzhou – Shenzhen Intercity Railway, and is also served by Guangzhou’s metro Line 13.
The new alignment from Xintang to Zengcheng is designed for 250 km/h operation, and trains can run at up to 350 km/h over the remainder of the corridor from Zengcheng to Shanwei.
The line serves seven intermediate stations and incorporates 53 tunnels and 121 bridges. End-to-end journey time is 1 h 13 min.
According to Huang Kunming, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, special attention was paid to safety during the construction of the line; major challenges were the complex geographical location, the effect of the coronavirus pandemic, and the high level of salt and humidity. He added that the opening of the line will help to improve connectivity of the eastern Guangdong region with the Pearl River Delta.
