Daily travel from Zhuhai Railway Station in Gongbei directly to downtown Guangzhou, with transfers available to Baiyun International Airport, Dongguan, and Shenzhen, is just a few years away.

Construction of the local section of the Nansha-Zhuhai (Zhongshan) Intercity Railway (Guangzhou Metro Line 18 South Extension) is to begin this year, according to Zhuhai's 2021 Government Work Report. It is expected to open in 2024 or 2025 and be linked to Zhuhai 60 km (37 miles) from Cuiheng Railway Station in Zhongshan. It is intended to be a major north-south traffic artery in the Bay Area.

Bullet train [Photo courtesy Guanhai App]

At this time, Guangzhou Metro is soliciting public opinions on the second environmental impact assessment of Guangzhou East-Huadu Tiangui (Line 18 North Extension from Guangzhou East Railway Station in Tianhe District) and Fangcun-Baiyun Airport (Line 22 North Extension) intercity railways. The Guangzhou East-Huadu Tiangui route will span 39.6 km (25 miles) from Tianhe to Huadu districts with a designed speed of 160 kmph (99 mph). Seven en route stations include Jingxi Road, Baiyun City Center, Fangshi, and Ma'anshan Park.

Line 18 has been under construction since 2017 as the backbone of the West Coast Corridor in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It is the longest metro line in the world and fastest metro line in the country with a maximum speed of 160 kmph. The journey from Wanqingsha in the far south of Guangzhou to Guangzhou East Railway Station will take only 30 minutes. 

The first section of the metro line through downtown Guangzhou is currently being debugged and will come into operation this year with stops at Wanqingsha, Hengli, Panyu Square, Shaxi, Longtan, Modiesha, and Xiancun stations.

A number of trains would depart Gongbei for Baiyun City Center due to a connection between Metro Line 18 and Nansha-Zhuhai (Zhongshan) and Guangzhou East-Huadu Tiangui intercity railways. Some, however, may stop only at major stations. Passengers would be able to transfer to proposed Guangzhou Metro Lines 34 and 39, Fangcun-Baiyun Airport Intercity Railway, or even rail lines leading to Shenzhen and Dongguan.