Guangzhou Metro
Encyclopedia
Guangzhou Metro is the metro
system of the city of Guangzhou
in Guangdong
Province of China
. It is operated by the state-owned Guangzhou Metro Corporation and was the fourth metro system to be built in mainland China
, after those of Beijing
, Tianjin
and Shanghai
.
The earliest effort of preparation for a project to build an underground rapid transit system in Guangzhou dates back to 1960. In the two decades that followed, the project was brought into the agenda fives times, but ended up abandoned each time due to financial and technical difficulties. Preparation of what would lead to today's Guangzhou Metro did not start until the 1980s, and it was not until 1993 that construction of the first line, Line 1, officially began. Line 1 opened four years later in 1997 with five stations in operation.
, Guangzhou Metro has eight lines in operation, namely Line 1
, Line 2
, Line 3
, Line 4
, Line 5
, Line 8
, Guangfo Line
, and Zhujiang New Town APM. A major portion of the metro system services the urban areas of the city, while Lines 2, 3 and 4 also reach into the suburban areas in Huadu
, Baiyun District, Panyu and Nansha
; Guangfo Line connects Guangzhou and Foshan and is the first intercity underground metro line in the country. Daily service hours start at 6:00 am and end at midnight, and ridership averages 4.39 million. Having delivered 1.18 billion rides in 2010, Guangzhou Metro is the tenth busiest metro system
in the world.
Guangzhou Metro operates 144 stations,Interchange stations are counted once for each interchanging line by the convention adopted by Guangzhou Metro. including 14 interchange stations, and 236 km of tracks. Massive expansion of the metro network has been planned for the decade of 2011–2020. Two new lines, Line 6
and Line 9
, and the extension of Guangfo Line are already under construction and expected to be completed before 2015. Total operational capacity is scheduled to exceed 600 km by 2020.
s and alluvial plain
s in the city. Defying stereotype, the geological conditions of Guangzhou, despite their complexity, did not preclude the possibility of an underground metro system. Analysis of the survey data resulted in a confidential report titled Geological Survey for Guangzhou Metro Project dated July 1961, the earliest one of such reports.
In 1965, Chen Yu along with Tao Zhu
, who had been the Governor of Guangdong and First Secretary of Guangdong Committee of the Communist Party of China
, proposed in the wake of the Gulf of Tonkin incident
that a tunnel be built in Guangzhou for wartime evacuations and post-war metro development. Approved by the central government, the project started in the spring of 1965. Due to its confidentiality in the context of intensification of the Vietnam War
, the project adopted the obscure name of "Project Nine" , where "Nine" was the number of strokes in "", the Chinese word for "underground".
As envisaged by Chen Yu, the metro system of Guangzhou would consist of two lines: a north-south line that would connect Nanfang Building to Sanyuanli via Renmin Lu and Jiefang Beilu, and an east-west line that would run from Xichang to Dongshan along today's Dongfeng Lu. The two lines roughly parallelled Line 2 and Line 1 of the modern days, respectively. The east-west line was never built, while Project Nine was dedicated to the north-south line. Over ten teams of miners were recruited for a project filled with hazards and perils. Constrained by extreme scarcity of time, monetary and material resources, the ambition to build a tunnel for metro operation was scaled back—capability to run trolleybuses was deemed acceptable. At a cost of ¥13 million, a 8 km long tunnel was completed in 1966. The tunnel was ready for use as an air-raid shelter; however, with a cross-section merely 3 m wide and 2.85 m tall, and exposed rocks and wooden trestles scattered everywhere, it was totally unusable for public transit. In the two decades that followed, four attempts were made to revive and expand Project Nine, first in 1970, next in 1971, then in 1974, and last in 1979. None of these efforts eventually materialized.
Design of the metro network was a collaborative effort between China and France. Four tentative designs were published on the 14 March 1988 edition of Guangzhou Daily
. From the four designs, one was selected based on expert and mass feedbacks. The selected design, featuring two intersecting lines, formed the foundation of the eventual layout of Line 1 and Line 2.
Construction of Line 1 officially commenced on 28 December 1993, although work at a trial section at Huangsha
had begun in October 1992, five months before the feasibility study of the line was ratified by the State Planning CommissionThe State Planning Commission has since evolved into the National Development and Reform Commission
. in March 1993. Various technologies novel to China's construction industry at the time were adopted in different sections of the project, notably including immersed tube
s (Pearl River Tunnel) and tunnel boring machine
s (Huangsha–Martyrs' Park
section). As the most massive urban infrastructure project in history of Guangzhou, Line 1 required a funding of ¥
12.75 billion, all of which was raised by the local government. Approximately 100,000 residents in 20,000 households along the line were relocated, and buildings in areas totalling 1.1 km2 were demolished.
Three and a half years after construction started, the 5.4 km section from Xilang
to Huangsha opened for trial operation on 28 June 1997. The remaining 13 km, from Huangsha to Guangzhou East Railway Station
, was completed eighteen months later on 28 December 1998. The entire line opened for sightseeing tours between 16 February and 2 March 1999, delivering 1.39 million rides during 15 days before closing for final testing. Operation of Line 1 officially began on 28 June 1999, 34 years after the start of Project Nine in 1965.
Except Kengkou
and Xilang, all stations in Line 1 are underground. The line interchanges with Line 2 at Gongyuanqian
, Line 3 at Tiyu Xilu and Guangzhou East Railway Station, and Line 5 at Yangji
. Its first section, from Xilang to Huangsha
, opened on 28 June 1997, making Guangzhou the fourth city in mainland China to have a metro system. The full line started operation two years later on 28 June 1999.
, and Line 8 at Changgang
. Until 21 September 2010, it ran from Sanyuanli
to Wanshengwei. Its first section, between Sanyuanli and Xiaogang
, opened on 29 December 2002. It was extended from Xiaogang to Pazhou
on 28 June 2003 and further to Wanshengwei a year later. The section between Xiaogang and Wanshengwei was split off to form part of Line 8 during 22–24 September 2010, when operation was paused. The latest extension, from Jiangnanxi
to Guangzhou South Railway Station and from Sanyuanli
to Jiahewanggang, opened on 25 September 2010 as the whole line resumed operation. The length of the current line is 31.4 km. All stations in Line 2 are underground.
and Tianhe Coach Terminal to Panyu Square. All stations in the line are underground. When the line opened on 26 December 2005, trains operated between Guangzhou East Railway Station and Kecun
. Following completion of the Tianhe Coach Terminal–Tiyu Xilu and Kecun–Panyu Square sections, the line was rerouted on 30 December 2006 to offer transfer-free connections between Panyu Square and Tianhe Coach Terminal via Tiyu Xilu. The Guangzhou East Railway Station–Tiyu Xilu section became a shuttle until it was extended northwards to Airport South on 30 October 2010. In official distinctions, the main route consists of the entire Airport South–Panyu Square section, while the Tianhe Coach Terminal–Tiyu Xilu section is a spur line. The spur line will be split off in the long term to form part of Line 10. The line interchanges with Line 1 at Tiyu Xilu and Guangzhou East Railway Station, Line 5 at Zhujiang New Town
, and Line 8 at Kecun. Line 3 had been notorious for its crowding since it opened, for it ran three-car trains. That was partly relieved when all three-car trains started operating as six-car ones, connected in sets of two, on 28 April 2010.
are built at underground, while that from Xinzao to Jinzhou are built at elevated track
. It was the first metro line in mainland China to use linear motor
trains. The line interchanges with Line 5 at Chebeinan
, and Line 8 at Wanshengwei. Its first section, from Wanshengwei to Xinzao, opened on 26 December 2005. Southwards, it was extended from Xinzao to Huangge
on 30 December 2006 and further to Jinzhou on 28 June 2007. Northwards, it was extended to Chebeinan on 28 December 2009. Its latest extension, from Chebeinan to Huangcun, opened on 25 September 2010. The line will eventually run from the Guangzhou Science City to Nansha
.
are underground. Until Line 8 was split off from Line 2, it was the only line that interchanged with all other lines. Currently it interchanges with Line 1 at Yangji, Line 2 at Guangzhou Railway Station, Line 3 at Zhujiang New Town, and Line 4 at Chebeinan. Similarly to Line 4, Line 5 also uses linear motor trains.
. Current interchange stations along the line are Changgang with Line 2, Kecun with Line 3, and Wanshengwei with Line 4. Extension of Line 8 to cross the Pearl River
and reach Cultural Park, an interchange station with Line 6.
Intercity Rapid Transit is an intercity metro line that connects Guangzhou and Foshan. It is commonly known as Guangfo Metro and Guangfo Line of Guangzhou Metro. The section within Foshan also doubles as Line 1 of FMetro (Foshan Metro). The line is operated by Guangdong Guangfo Inter-City Co., Ltd., a subsidiary co-owned by Guangzhou Metro (51%) and Foshan Metro (49%). Its first section, from Xilang to Kuiqi Lu in Foshan
, started operation on 3 November 2010 with 21 km of tracks and 14 stations. Eleven of the stations are located in Foshan, while the other three are in Guangzhou. The extension from Xilang to Lijiao
will open in 2012. When the line is completed, it will have 32.2 km of tracks and 21 stations, of which 17.4 km of tracks and 10 stations will be located in Guangzhou. The line will interchange with Line 1 at Xilang, Line 2 at Nanzhou
, Line 3 at Lijiao, and Line 8 at Shayuan. It will run four-car trains. All its stations are underground.
of Zhujiang New Town
. It is commonly known as Zhujiang New Town Automated People Mover System or the APM for short. At a length of 3.9 km, it connects Linhexi and Chigang Pagoda with nine stations on the line. Operation started on 8 November 2010, but the stations of Haixinsha and Chigang Pagoda remain closed during the 2010 Asian Games. Chigang Pagoda Station opened on 28 November 2010, one day after the Asian Games ended; Haixinsha Station remained unopened until 24 February 2011. There is no direct platform-to-platform connection between the APM and Line 3 albeit they share the stations of Linhexi and Chigang Pagoda. Transfer passengers need to exit and reenter with a new ticket. The APM runs two-car rubber-wheeled
driverless trains.
to Changban with 22 stations and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2012; the 17.6 km long phase two will run from Changban to Xiangxue with 10 stations and will open by 2015. Three stations of phase one and four stations of second phase will be elevated. The line will run four-car trains, but stations of phase two will be constructed to accommodate six-car trains in preparation for a split-off in the future. The line will interchange with Line 1 at Dongshankou
, Line 2 at Haizhu Square
, Line 3 at Yantang
and Tianhe Coach Terminal
, Line 4 at Xiangang, Line 5 at Tanwei and Ouzhuang
, and Line 8 at Cultural Park.
. It will start at Fei'eling and end at Gaozeng
, where it will interchange with Line 3. All stations are underground. The line will run six-car trains. In the long term, after the Tianhe Coach Terminal–Tiyu Xilu spur line of Line 3 is split off to form part of Line 10, it will be connected into Line 3 using the reserved switches
at Gaozeng and become a new spur line.
and Bai'etan. It was reported in April 2010 that those two lines would possibly be built as intercity railways
rather than metro lines. In the revised plan made public in late April 2010, construction of Line 20 was retained but postponed to 2015–2020, while Bai'etan Express was no longer mentioned.
2 (a couple of stations) to ¥14 (the longest journeys). A journey shorter than 4 km costs ¥2; ¥1 is charged for every 4 km after 4 km, every 6 km after 12 km, and every 8 km after 24 km. Between 30 October 2010 and 30 October 2010, an additional, undiscountable ¥5 fee was charged for any journey to or from Airport South. Collection of such a fee was approved for one year in July 2010 and expired without extension. The fare for the longest possible journey to the exiting station will be charged if a journey exceeds four hours. Passengers may carry luggage below weight and size limits at no cost or a ¥2 surcharge.
is a contactless smartcard which can be used on the metro and most other forms of public transport in Guangzhou.
Yang Cheng Tong offers discounts for rides on buses and the metro. Within each month, bus and metro rides combined, a 5% discount is available for the first 15 journeys and a 40% discount for all journeys beyond.
Full-time students enrolled in primary, secondary, and vocational schools can apply for student passes, which allow them bus and metro rides at half price. Senior citizens can also obtain special passes. Half price is charged for seniors aged 60–64. Seniors aged 65 and above as well as people with major disabilities ride free on the metro.
Yang Cheng Tong was rebranded in November 2010 as a type of Lingnan Tong , a new transport card that is valid in multiple cities across the Pearl River Delta. Lingnan Tong cards issued in Guangzhou will be named Lingnan Tong·Yang Cheng Tong. Existing cards were automatically upgraded and need not be replaced.
Each journey could travel from one station to any other station regardless of distance. A monthly pass was valid within a calendar month, not the one-month period from the first day it was used. Unused journeys in a month could not be rolled over to a pass for the following month.
DC
. For power transmission, Lines 1, 2, 3 and 8 as well as Guangfo Line use overhead lines
, while Lines 4 and 5 use third rail
s. Future lines to be built in the short term, including Lines 6, 7, 9 and 13 will also run on 1,500 V DC. All those lines will use overhead lines except for Line 6, which will use third rails. In contrast to the heavy-rail lines, the light-rail APM runs on 600 V AC
supplied by third rails.
In response to questions on the policy raised at the hearing, Lu Guanglin, then-General Manager of Guangzhou Metro, claimed that relatives of employees with free access would volunteer as security personnel of the metro. He cited counter-terrorism
when explaining that the policy was not exclusively an employee benefit but also a safety measure. Guangzhou Metro later clarified that only the spouse and at most one pre-college child under 18 of each employee were allowed free access, limiting the number of such people to about 2,000. Free rides were strictly regulated and tracked, with abuse subject to disciplinary actions. An unnamed metro employee estimated that the actual cost per year was ¥3 million rather than ¥13 million.
Following its publicity, the policy sparked widespread criticism. A Nanfang Daily
editorial criticised the policy as Guangzhou Metro exploiting public resources to its own interests. It also questioned the competence of relatives of metro employees in counter-terrorism. It further argued that if Guangzhou Metro indeed needed voluntary security personnel, it could have recruited them openly from the public. Such criticism was echoed by hearing participants as well as members of the Municipal People's Congress of Guangzhou. Guangzhou Metro officially abandoned the policy under pressure on 16 December 2005.
had substandard compressive strength. The quality of the two connecting passages was found to be questionable as early as August 2009. But it not was brought to light until a technician who worked for a company that inspected their quality posted scanned copies of the original inspection reports in his blog
in August 2010, and the media picked up the story in October 2010.
The connecting passages were intended as connections between two metro tunnels for the maintenance crew and emergency escape corridors for passengers. Their compressive strength was designed to reach 30 MPa
. However, the lowest values measured in two inspections were only 21.9 MPa and 25.5 MPa, respectively. Guangzhou Metro and Beijing Chang Cheng Bilfinger Berger
Construction Engineering Co., Ltd. (BCBB), contractor of the Jiahewanggang–Longgui section, commissioned two inspection companies to perform a total of three inspections. All three inspections reported results below standard. According to the technician who disclosed the issue and another technician who participated in the first inspection, possible consequences of weaker-than-standard concrete structures included collapse of the passages, blockage of groundwater drains, and even paralysation of the metro tunnels.
In the wake of widespread media coverage, the Construction Commission of Guangzhou launched an investigation into the incident. The commission invited an independent expert group to inspect the connecting passages. The expert group reaffirmed that despite their quality was indeed below the design standard, the passages were safe for operation and needed not be strengthened or rebuilt. The commission also confirmed that BCBB violated regulations in concealing negative inspection reports from related parties. The cause of weaker-than-standard concrete structures was blamed by deputy mayor Su Zequn on cement being mixed manually instead of using machinery due to space limitation at the construction site.
The scheduled opening of the north extension of Line 3 on 30 October 2010 was eventually unaffected.
revealled to the media that the local government was considering rewarding residents with an "Asian Games gift package" in acknowledgement of their support for the Games. On 27 September 2010, contents of the gift package were officially announced. Included was universal free access to public transit on 30 workdays in November and December 2010 that would coincide with the schedules of the 2010 Asian Games
and Asian Para Games
in urban areas excluding the districts of Panyu, Nansha
and Huadu
and the cities of Zengcheng
and Conghua
. The measure was intended to compensate for the inconvenience caused by a temporary traffic rule that would ban cars from the streets by the parity of the last digits of their license plates during the Games.
The free rides policy prompted unprecedented enthusiasm from local residents on 1 November 2010, the first day it went into effect. The metro system carried 7.80 million rides, doubling the figure of an average day. Ridership of the day exceeded the previous peak of 5.13 million on National Day
1 October 2010 by a significant margin and set a national record. Metro traffic remained intense in the days that followed. The daily ridership record was refreshed twice on 3 and 5 November 2010, reaching 7.844 million; total ridership amounted to 38.77 million over the entire workweek. Provisional flow control measures were put into force at all stations, but were utterly inadequate to contain traffic far beyond the design capacity of the metro system. Trains were often crammed, and stations were filled with people queuing in swarms to take a free ride. Guangzhou Metro estimated that when the Asian Games opened, daily ridership would surpass 8 million.
Five days after the free rides policy came into force, local authorities decided to rescind the free public transit offer starting from 8 November 2010 and replace it with a cash subsidy program as they deemed the enormous public response a potential security threat to the Games. Registered households and migrant households with presence in the city longer than half a year would each receive a public transit subsidy of ¥150 in cash; individuals in corporate households would each receive ¥50. Residents could claim the subsidies between 12 January and 31 March 2011. Public transit discount policies that were in effect before November 2010 remained unchanged.
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system of the city of Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
in Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
Province of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is operated by the state-owned Guangzhou Metro Corporation and was the fourth metro system to be built in mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
, after those of Beijing
Beijing Subway
The Beijing Subway is a rapid transit rail network that serves the urban and suburban districts of Beijing municipality. It is owned by the city of Beijing and has two operators, the wholly state owned Beijing Mass Transit Railway Operation Corp., which operates 12 lines, and the Beijing MTR...
, Tianjin
Tianjin Metro
Tianjin Metro is a rapid transit system in the city of Tianjin, China, which was the second city in China to operate a subway system. Founded in 1984, it now includes 22 stations. The system currently consists of a single northwest-east line...
and Shanghai
Shanghai Metro
The Shanghai Metro is the urban rapid transit system of China's largest city, Shanghai. The system incorporates both subway and light rail lines. It opened in 1995, making Shanghai the third city in Mainland China, after Beijing and Tianjin, to have a rapid transit system...
.
The earliest effort of preparation for a project to build an underground rapid transit system in Guangzhou dates back to 1960. In the two decades that followed, the project was brought into the agenda fives times, but ended up abandoned each time due to financial and technical difficulties. Preparation of what would lead to today's Guangzhou Metro did not start until the 1980s, and it was not until 1993 that construction of the first line, Line 1, officially began. Line 1 opened four years later in 1997 with five stations in operation.
, Guangzhou Metro has eight lines in operation, namely Line 1
Line 1, Guangzhou Metro
Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro or Zhongshanlu Line runs from Xilang to Guangzhou East Railway Station .Apart from Kengkou and Xilang, all stations in Line 1 are underground. Line 1's color is yellow....
, Line 2
Line 2, Guangzhou Metro
Line 2 of the Guangzhou Metro or Jiahe Line is a north-south line on the system that runs from Jiahewanggang to Guangzhou South Railway Station, with a total length of 31.4 km with 24 stations. All stations in Jiahe Line are underground...
, Line 3
Line 3, Guangzhou Metro
Line 3 of the Guangzhou Metro or Southern-Northern Express Line is a 67.3-kilometer Y-shape line connecting Tianhe Coach Terminal to Panyu Square. Currentl all stations are underground...
, Line 4
Line 4, Guangzhou Metro
Line 4 of the Guangzhou Metro or Nansha Line is a north-south line on the system that runs between Huangcun and Jinzhou stations, spanning a total of 43.7 km with 16 stations. It will eventually run from the Guangzhou Science Town to Nansha. The section of the line from Huangcun to Xinzao is...
, Line 5
Line 5, Guangzhou Metro
Line 5 of the Guangzhou Metro or Huanshilu Line runs from Liwan District to Huangpu District. It starts at Jiaokou and ends at Wenchong. The total length is 31.9 km. Line 5's color is red. Huangpu Line began operation on December 28, 2009 from Jiaokou to Wenchong.-Huanshi Line...
, Line 8
Line 8, Guangzhou Metro
Line 8 of the Guangzhou Metro or Pazhou Line is an east-west line on the system that runs from Fenghuang Xincun to Wanshengwei, spanning a total of 14.8km with 13 stations. It interchanges with Line 2 at Changgang, Line 3 at Kecun and Line 4 at Wanshengwei. All stations on Line 8 are underground...
, Guangfo Line
Guangfo Metro
Guangfo Metro , Guangfo Line , or Line 1 of the FMetro is a subway line that connects the Chinese cities Foshan and Guangzhou. The line is currently 20 km long and has 14 stations, which are all underground. When the line is completed, it will have 32.2 km of tracks and 21 stations, of...
, and Zhujiang New Town APM. A major portion of the metro system services the urban areas of the city, while Lines 2, 3 and 4 also reach into the suburban areas in Huadu
Huadu District
Huadu District is a district in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It is located in the far northern suburbs of Guangzhou.Xinhua Town is the seat of local government, and of the district CCP committee....
, Baiyun District, Panyu and Nansha
Nansha District
Nansha District is a district in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.-External links:*...
; Guangfo Line connects Guangzhou and Foshan and is the first intercity underground metro line in the country. Daily service hours start at 6:00 am and end at midnight, and ridership averages 4.39 million. Having delivered 1.18 billion rides in 2010, Guangzhou Metro is the tenth busiest metro system
Metro systems by annual passenger rides
The most-used metro systems in terms of passenger rides per year:# Tokyo Subway 3.161 billion # Moscow Metro 2.348 billion # Seoul Subway 2.048 billion...
in the world.
Guangzhou Metro operates 144 stations,Interchange stations are counted once for each interchanging line by the convention adopted by Guangzhou Metro. including 14 interchange stations, and 236 km of tracks. Massive expansion of the metro network has been planned for the decade of 2011–2020. Two new lines, Line 6
Line 6, Guangzhou Metro
Line 6 of the Guangzhou Metro or Luogang Line runs from Liwan District to Tianhe District later toward Luogang District. It starts at Xunfenggang and ends at Changban, interchanging with Line 5 at Tanwei, Line 1 at Huangsha, Line 8 at Cultural Park, Line 2 at Haizhu Square, Line 1 at Dongshankou,...
and Line 9
Line 9, Guangzhou Metro
Line 9 of the Guangzhou Metro or Huadu Line is expected to run across Huadu District. It will start at Fei'eling and end at Gaozeng, interchanging with Line 3 at Gaozeng. The total length will be 17.4 km with 8 stations. Line 9's color is violet/purple. Line 9 is expected to be operational...
, and the extension of Guangfo Line are already under construction and expected to be completed before 2015. Total operational capacity is scheduled to exceed 600 km by 2020.
Forays of the 1960s and 1970s
Chen Yu , Governor of Guangdong in 1957–1967, was the first to have proposed an underground metro system for Guangzhou. In the summer of 1960, he ordered a secret geological survey of groundwater levels of Guangzhou. Six holes with an accumulated depth of were drilled in the plateauPlateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
s and alluvial plain
Alluvial plain
An alluvial plain is a relatively flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms...
s in the city. Defying stereotype, the geological conditions of Guangzhou, despite their complexity, did not preclude the possibility of an underground metro system. Analysis of the survey data resulted in a confidential report titled Geological Survey for Guangzhou Metro Project dated July 1961, the earliest one of such reports.
In 1965, Chen Yu along with Tao Zhu
Tao Zhu
Tao Zhu is a Former Member of the 8th Communist Party of China Politburo Standing Committee.-Biography:He was Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee and Commander of the Guangzhou Military Region....
, who had been the Governor of Guangdong and First Secretary of Guangdong Committee of the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
, proposed in the wake of the Gulf of Tonkin incident
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, or the USS Maddox Incident, are the names given to two incidents, one fabricated, involving North Vietnam and the United States in the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin...
that a tunnel be built in Guangzhou for wartime evacuations and post-war metro development. Approved by the central government, the project started in the spring of 1965. Due to its confidentiality in the context of intensification of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the project adopted the obscure name of "Project Nine" , where "Nine" was the number of strokes in "", the Chinese word for "underground".
As envisaged by Chen Yu, the metro system of Guangzhou would consist of two lines: a north-south line that would connect Nanfang Building to Sanyuanli via Renmin Lu and Jiefang Beilu, and an east-west line that would run from Xichang to Dongshan along today's Dongfeng Lu. The two lines roughly parallelled Line 2 and Line 1 of the modern days, respectively. The east-west line was never built, while Project Nine was dedicated to the north-south line. Over ten teams of miners were recruited for a project filled with hazards and perils. Constrained by extreme scarcity of time, monetary and material resources, the ambition to build a tunnel for metro operation was scaled back—capability to run trolleybuses was deemed acceptable. At a cost of ¥13 million, a 8 km long tunnel was completed in 1966. The tunnel was ready for use as an air-raid shelter; however, with a cross-section merely 3 m wide and 2.85 m tall, and exposed rocks and wooden trestles scattered everywhere, it was totally unusable for public transit. In the two decades that followed, four attempts were made to revive and expand Project Nine, first in 1970, next in 1971, then in 1974, and last in 1979. None of these efforts eventually materialized.
Construction of Line 1
The metro project of Guangzhou was launched for the sixth time in 1984 as the Preparation Office of Guangzhou Metro, established back in 1979 as part of the last attempt to resurrect Project Nine, was moved out of the civil air defence system and became a subordinate body of the Construction Commission of Guangzhou, bringing Guangzhou Metro into the scope of urban infrastructure development. Prior to the 1980s, war preparedness was the dominant tenet of underground infrastructure projects in mainland China. The construction of Guangzhou Metro marked the first deviation from the old doctrine as traffic itself became the prime consideration of the project.Design of the metro network was a collaborative effort between China and France. Four tentative designs were published on the 14 March 1988 edition of Guangzhou Daily
Guangzhou Daily
Guangzhou Ribao is the official newspaper of the Guangzhou municipal party committee published by the Guangzhou Daily Newspaper Group. The daily newspaper was established on October 1, 1952....
. From the four designs, one was selected based on expert and mass feedbacks. The selected design, featuring two intersecting lines, formed the foundation of the eventual layout of Line 1 and Line 2.
Construction of Line 1 officially commenced on 28 December 1993, although work at a trial section at Huangsha
Huangsha Station
Huangsha Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro and it was the first Line 1 station which platform screen doors are installed. It started operations in 28 June 1997. It was the terminus of Line 1 when Guangzhou Metro started the service in 1997. It was situated at the underground of...
had begun in October 1992, five months before the feasibility study of the line was ratified by the State Planning CommissionThe State Planning Commission has since evolved into the National Development and Reform Commission
National Development and Reform Commission
The National Development and Reform Commission , formerly State Planning Commission and State Development Planning Commission, is a macroeconomic management agency under the Chinese State Council, which has broad administrative and planning control over the Chinese economy...
. in March 1993. Various technologies novel to China's construction industry at the time were adopted in different sections of the project, notably including immersed tube
Immersed tube
An immersed tube is a kind of underwater tunnel composed of segments, constructed elsewhere and floated to the tunnel site to be sunk into place and then linked together. They are commonly used for road and rail crossings of rivers, estuaries and sea channels/harbours...
s (Pearl River Tunnel) and tunnel boring machine
Tunnel boring machine
A tunnel boring machine also known as a "mole", is a machine used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. They can bore through anything from hard rock to sand. Tunnel diameters can range from a metre to almost 16 metres to date...
s (Huangsha–Martyrs' Park
Martyrs' Park Station
Martyrs' Park Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 1997. It is located at the underground of the junction of Zhongshan 3rd Road and Jiaochang Road East in Yuexiu District...
section). As the most massive urban infrastructure project in history of Guangzhou, Line 1 required a funding of ¥
Renminbi
The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...
12.75 billion, all of which was raised by the local government. Approximately 100,000 residents in 20,000 households along the line were relocated, and buildings in areas totalling 1.1 km2 were demolished.
Three and a half years after construction started, the 5.4 km section from Xilang
Xilang Station
Xilang Station , formerly Guanggang Station because of nearby Guangzhou Iron and Steel's headquarter when planning, is a terminus of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro and Guangfo Line . It started operations in 28 June 1997. It was situated at the underground of Huadi Avenue South in Fangcun, Liwan...
to Huangsha opened for trial operation on 28 June 1997. The remaining 13 km, from Huangsha to Guangzhou East Railway Station
Guangzhou East Railway Station (metro)
Guangzhou East Railway Station is an interchange station between Lines 1 and 3 of the Guangzhou Metro. It is located at the underground of Guangzhou East Railway Station in Linhe Zhonglu , Tianhe District...
, was completed eighteen months later on 28 December 1998. The entire line opened for sightseeing tours between 16 February and 2 March 1999, delivering 1.39 million rides during 15 days before closing for final testing. Operation of Line 1 officially began on 28 June 1999, 34 years after the start of Project Nine in 1965.
Lines in operation
| Line | Terminals | Opened | Newest Extension |
Length in km |
Stations | Trains | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy rail | |||||||
| Guangzhou East Railway Station Guangzhou East Railway Station (metro) Guangzhou East Railway Station is an interchange station between Lines 1 and 3 of the Guangzhou Metro. It is located at the underground of Guangzhou East Railway Station in Linhe Zhonglu , Tianhe District... |
Xilang Xilang Station Xilang Station , formerly Guanggang Station because of nearby Guangzhou Iron and Steel's headquarter when planning, is a terminus of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro and Guangfo Line . It started operations in 28 June 1997. It was situated at the underground of Huadi Avenue South in Fangcun, Liwan... |
1997 | 1999 | 18.5 | 16 | 28 | |
| Jiahewanggang | Guangzhou South Railway Station | 2002 | 2010 | 31.4 | 24 | 36 | |
| Airport South Airport South Station (Guangzhou) Airport South Station is a metro station of Line 3 on the Guangzhou Metro. The station is located directly below the terminal building of Baiyun Airport and unlike other metro stations in Guangzhou, does not have independent entrances or exits on the ground level, but instead being equipped with... / Tianhe Coach Terminal Tianhe Coach Terminal Station Tianhe Coach Terminal Station is a terminus of Line 3 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations in 30 December 2006. It is located at the underground of the junction of Tianyuan Road and Guangzhou North Ring Expressway in Tianhe District... |
Tiyu Xilu / Panyu Square Panyu Square Station Panyu Square Station is a terminus of Line 3 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 December 2006. It is located at the underground of the junction of Donghuan Road and Qinghe Road East in Shiqiao Subdistrict , the capital of Panyu District... |
2005 | 2010 | 67.3 | 28 | 42 | |
| Huangcun Huangcun Station (Guangzhou) Huangcun Station , formerly Olympic Sports Center Station when planning, is a terminus of Guangzhou Metro Line 4. It is located at the underground outside Guangdong Olympic Stadium in Huangcun Village , Dongpu Town in Tianhe District. It started operation on 25 September 2010... |
Jinzhou Jinzhou Station Jinzhou Station is an elevated terminus of Line 4 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 2007. It is located at the junction of Shuangshan Avenue and Guangfeng Road in Huangge Town , Nansha District.... |
2005 | 2010 | 43.7 | 16 | 30 | |
| Jiaokou Jiaokou Station Jiaokou Station is an elevated terminus of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at Fongcun Dadao Xi near Jiaokou Coach Terminal in Fangcun, Liwan District. It opened on 28 December 2009.-Station layout:... |
Wenchong Wenchong Station Wenchong Station , formerly Wenyuan Station , is a terminus of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of the junction of Dashadi Donglu and Shihua Lu , in Huangpu District. It opened in December 2009. Line 5 is planned to be extended from Wenchong Station to... |
2009 | — | 31.9 | 24 | 30 | |
| Fenghuang Xincun | Wanshengwei Wanshengwei Station Wanshengwei Station is an interchange station between Lines 4 and 8 of the Guangzhou Metro, and also the terminus of Line 8. It started operations on 26 December 2005... |
2003 | 2010 | 14.8 | 13 | 17 | |
| Kuiqi Lu | Xilang Xilang Station Xilang Station , formerly Guanggang Station because of nearby Guangzhou Iron and Steel's headquarter when planning, is a terminus of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro and Guangfo Line . It started operations in 28 June 1997. It was situated at the underground of Huadi Avenue South in Fangcun, Liwan... |
2010 | — | 20.4 | 14 | 14 | |
| Light rail | |||||||
| Linhexi Linhexi Station Linhexi Station , literally means Linhe Road West Station, which is an interchange station of Line 3 and Zhujiang New Town Automated People Mover Systems of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations in 26 December 2005. It is located at the underground of the junction of Tianhe Road North and... |
Chigang Pagoda Chigang Pagoda Station Chigang Pagoda Station is an interchange station on Line 3 and Zhujiang New Town Automated People Mover Systems of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 December 2005... |
2010 | — | 3.9 | 9 | 6 | |
Line 1
Line 1 runs from Xilang to Guangzhou East Railway Station, with a total length of 18.5 km.Except Kengkou
Kengkou Station
Kengkou Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 1997. It was located at the ground level of the junction of Huadi Avenue Middle and Longxi Avenue in Fangcun, Liwan District. It is adjacent to Fangcun Coach Station , the transportation hub for the...
and Xilang, all stations in Line 1 are underground. The line interchanges with Line 2 at Gongyuanqian
Gongyuanqian Station
Gongyuanqian Station , literally Parkfront Station in English, is an interchange station of Line 1 and Line 2 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 1999...
, Line 3 at Tiyu Xilu and Guangzhou East Railway Station, and Line 5 at Yangji
Yangji Station
Yangji Station is an interchange station of Line 1 and Line 5 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 1999. It is situated at the underground of Zhongshan 1st Road of Yuexiu District, near Yangji Cun.-Station layout:...
. Its first section, from Xilang to Huangsha
Huangsha Station
Huangsha Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro and it was the first Line 1 station which platform screen doors are installed. It started operations in 28 June 1997. It was the terminus of Line 1 when Guangzhou Metro started the service in 1997. It was situated at the underground of...
, opened on 28 June 1997, making Guangzhou the fourth city in mainland China to have a metro system. The full line started operation two years later on 28 June 1999.
Line 2
Line 2 is a north-south line that runs from Jiahewanggang to Guangzhou South Railway Station. It interchanges with Line 1 at Gongyuanqian, Line 5 at Guangzhou Railway StationGuangzhou Railway Station (metro)
Guangzhou Railway Station is an interchange station of Line 2 and Line 5 of the Guangzhou Metro. It is located at the underground of the west square of Guangzhou Railway Station, located at the junction of Huanshi Road West and December 2009 respectively...
, and Line 8 at Changgang
Changgang Station
Changgang Station is an interchange station of Line 2 and Line 8 on the Guangzhou Metro. The underground station is located at the intersection of Changgang Road and Guangzhou Avenue in Haizhu District...
. Until 21 September 2010, it ran from Sanyuanli
Sanyuanli Station
Sanyuanli Station is a terminus of Line 2 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 29 December 2002. It is located at Sanyuanli in Baiyun District and it is the only station in the district. It is adjacent to Sanyuanli Anti-British Invasion Museum , Sanyuanli Coach Terminal , Guangzhou...
to Wanshengwei. Its first section, between Sanyuanli and Xiaogang
Xiaogang Station
Xiaogang Station is a station of Line 8 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations in 29 December 2002. It is located at the underground of Changgang Road East in Haizhu District....
, opened on 29 December 2002. It was extended from Xiaogang to Pazhou
Pazhou Station
Pazhou Station is a station of Line 8 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 2003. It is located at the underground of Xingang East Road in Pazhou, Haizhu District, with Shangri-La Hotel Pazhou and Guangzhou International Convention Exhibition Center nearby.Before the...
on 28 June 2003 and further to Wanshengwei a year later. The section between Xiaogang and Wanshengwei was split off to form part of Line 8 during 22–24 September 2010, when operation was paused. The latest extension, from Jiangnanxi
Jiangnanxi Station
Jiangnanxi Station is a station of Line 2 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations in 29 December 2002. It is located at the underground of Jiangnan Avenue Middle in Haizhu District, the main shopping area in the district....
to Guangzhou South Railway Station and from Sanyuanli
Sanyuanli Station
Sanyuanli Station is a terminus of Line 2 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 29 December 2002. It is located at Sanyuanli in Baiyun District and it is the only station in the district. It is adjacent to Sanyuanli Anti-British Invasion Museum , Sanyuanli Coach Terminal , Guangzhou...
to Jiahewanggang, opened on 25 September 2010 as the whole line resumed operation. The length of the current line is 31.4 km. All stations in Line 2 are underground.
Line 3
Line 3 is a 67.3 km Y-shaped line connecting Airport SouthAirport South Station (Guangzhou)
Airport South Station is a metro station of Line 3 on the Guangzhou Metro. The station is located directly below the terminal building of Baiyun Airport and unlike other metro stations in Guangzhou, does not have independent entrances or exits on the ground level, but instead being equipped with...
and Tianhe Coach Terminal to Panyu Square. All stations in the line are underground. When the line opened on 26 December 2005, trains operated between Guangzhou East Railway Station and Kecun
Kecun Station
Kecun Station is an interchange station between Lines 3 and 8 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 2003. It is located at the underground of Kecun Village in Haizhu District....
. Following completion of the Tianhe Coach Terminal–Tiyu Xilu and Kecun–Panyu Square sections, the line was rerouted on 30 December 2006 to offer transfer-free connections between Panyu Square and Tianhe Coach Terminal via Tiyu Xilu. The Guangzhou East Railway Station–Tiyu Xilu section became a shuttle until it was extended northwards to Airport South on 30 October 2010. In official distinctions, the main route consists of the entire Airport South–Panyu Square section, while the Tianhe Coach Terminal–Tiyu Xilu section is a spur line. The spur line will be split off in the long term to form part of Line 10. The line interchanges with Line 1 at Tiyu Xilu and Guangzhou East Railway Station, Line 5 at Zhujiang New Town
Zhujiang New Town Station
Zhujiang New Town Station is an interchange metro station of Line 3 and Line 5 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 December 2005. It is located at the underground of the junction of Huaxia Road and Huacheng Avenue in Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District.-Station layout:...
, and Line 8 at Kecun. Line 3 had been notorious for its crowding since it opened, for it ran three-car trains. That was partly relieved when all three-car trains started operating as six-car ones, connected in sets of two, on 28 April 2010.
Line 4
Line 4 is a north-south line running parallel to Line 2 along the east of the city. It is 43.7 km long with 16 stations. The section of the line from Huangcun to XinzaoXinzao Station
Xinzao Station is a station of Line 4 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 26 December 2005. It is located at the underground of Zengbian Village , Xinzao Town , Panyu District. It was the terminus of Line 4 before the route between Xinzao and Huangge started in service on 30 December...
are built at underground, while that from Xinzao to Jinzhou are built at elevated track
Elevated railway
An elevated railway is a form of rapid transit railway with the tracks built above street level on some form of viaduct or other steel or concrete structure. The railway concerned may be constructed according to the standard gauge, narrow gauge, light rail, monorail or suspension railway system...
. It was the first metro line in mainland China to use linear motor
Linear motor
A linear motor is an electric motor that has had its stator and rotor "unrolled" so that instead of producing a torque it produces a linear force along its length...
trains. The line interchanges with Line 5 at Chebeinan
Chebeinan Station
Chebeinan Station , laterally Chebei South Station and formerly Huangzhou Station when planning, is an interchange station of Guangzhou Metro Line 4 and Line 5. It is located at the underground of the junction of Chebei Road and Huangpu Avenue East in Tianhe District. It opened on 28 December 2009...
, and Line 8 at Wanshengwei. Its first section, from Wanshengwei to Xinzao, opened on 26 December 2005. Southwards, it was extended from Xinzao to Huangge
Huangge Station
Huangge Station is an elevated station of Line 4 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 30 December 2006. It is located at the junction of Huangge Avenue and Shinan Road in Huangge Town , Nansha District....
on 30 December 2006 and further to Jinzhou on 28 June 2007. Northwards, it was extended to Chebeinan on 28 December 2009. Its latest extension, from Chebeinan to Huangcun, opened on 25 September 2010. The line will eventually run from the Guangzhou Science City to Nansha
Nansha District
Nansha District is a district in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.-External links:*...
.
Line 5
The 31.9 km long Line 5 starts at Jiaokou and runs to Wenchong. It entered operation on 28 December 2009. All stations in the line except Jiaokou and TanweiTanwei Station
Tanwei Station , formerly Datansha South Station and Datansha Station when planning, is an elevated station of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at Zhongshuangqiao Park on Datansha Island , Liwan District...
are underground. Until Line 8 was split off from Line 2, it was the only line that interchanged with all other lines. Currently it interchanges with Line 1 at Yangji, Line 2 at Guangzhou Railway Station, Line 3 at Zhujiang New Town, and Line 4 at Chebeinan. Similarly to Line 4, Line 5 also uses linear motor trains.
Line 8
The first section of Line 8, from Xiaogang to Wanshengwei, opened in 2002 and ran as part of Line 2 until the extension to the line was completed in September 2010. Line 8 runs from Fenghuang Xincun to Wanshengwei. The section from Changgang to Wanshengwei opened on 25 September 2010 when the split-off from Line 2 was complete; The section west of Changgang did not open until 3 November 2010 due to disputes over the environmental impact of the cooling facilities at ShayuanShayuan Station
Shayuan Station is a station on Guangzhou Metro Line 8 and a future interchange station of Guangzhou Metro Line 8 and Guangfo Metro Line 1. It is located at the underground of the junction of Changgang Road and Gongye Avenue North in Haizhu District, Guangzhou, China...
. Current interchange stations along the line are Changgang with Line 2, Kecun with Line 3, and Wanshengwei with Line 4. Extension of Line 8 to cross the Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...
and reach Cultural Park, an interchange station with Line 6.
Guangfo Line
The Guangzhou–Foshan Section of Pearl River DeltaPearl River Delta
The Pearl River Delta , Zhujiang Delta or Zhusanjiao in Guangdong province, People's Republic of China is the low-lying area surrounding the Pearl River estuary where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea...
Intercity Rapid Transit is an intercity metro line that connects Guangzhou and Foshan. It is commonly known as Guangfo Metro and Guangfo Line of Guangzhou Metro. The section within Foshan also doubles as Line 1 of FMetro (Foshan Metro). The line is operated by Guangdong Guangfo Inter-City Co., Ltd., a subsidiary co-owned by Guangzhou Metro (51%) and Foshan Metro (49%). Its first section, from Xilang to Kuiqi Lu in Foshan
Foshan
Foshan is a city in central Guangdong province in southern China. The prefectural area under the city's jurisdiction over an area of about 3,840 km² and a population of 5.4 million of which 1.1 million reside in the city proper ....
, started operation on 3 November 2010 with 21 km of tracks and 14 stations. Eleven of the stations are located in Foshan, while the other three are in Guangzhou. The extension from Xilang to Lijiao
Lijiao Station
Lijiao Station is a station of Line 3 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations in 28 December 2006. It is located at the underground of Lijiao Village in Haizhu District. It will be an interchange station of Guangfo Metro Line 1 and Guangzhou Metro Line 3 in 2010.-Station layout:...
will open in 2012. When the line is completed, it will have 32.2 km of tracks and 21 stations, of which 17.4 km of tracks and 10 stations will be located in Guangzhou. The line will interchange with Line 1 at Xilang, Line 2 at Nanzhou
Nanzhou Station
Nanzhou Station , formerly Nanzhou Coach Station during its planning stages, is an interchange station between Line 2 on the Guangzhou Metro and Line 1 on the Guangfo Metro....
, Line 3 at Lijiao, and Line 8 at Shayuan. It will run four-car trains. All its stations are underground.
Zhujiang New Town Automated People Mover System (APM)
The Automated People Mover System of Zhujiang New Town Core District Municipal Traffic Project is an underground automated people mover that serves the central business districtCentral business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Zhujiang New Town
Zhujiang New Town
Zhujiang New Town is the area in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, which is between Huangpu Avenue in the north and the Pearl River in the south, and between Guangzhou Avenue as the west and the South China Expressway the east...
. It is commonly known as Zhujiang New Town Automated People Mover System or the APM for short. At a length of 3.9 km, it connects Linhexi and Chigang Pagoda with nine stations on the line. Operation started on 8 November 2010, but the stations of Haixinsha and Chigang Pagoda remain closed during the 2010 Asian Games. Chigang Pagoda Station opened on 28 November 2010, one day after the Asian Games ended; Haixinsha Station remained unopened until 24 February 2011. There is no direct platform-to-platform connection between the APM and Line 3 albeit they share the stations of Linhexi and Chigang Pagoda. Transfer passengers need to exit and reenter with a new ticket. The APM runs two-car rubber-wheeled
Rubber-tyred metro
A rubber-tyred metro is a form of rapid transit system that uses a mix of road and rail technology. The vehicles have wheels with rubber tyres which run on rolling pads inside guide bars for traction, as well as traditional railway steel wheels with deep flanges on steel tracks for guidance through...
driverless trains.
Line 6
The first two phases of Line 6 are under construction. The 24.3 km long phase one will run from XunfenggangXunfenggang Station
Xunfenggang Station is a future elevated terminus of Guangzhou Metro Line 6 in Guangzhou, China. It will start operations in 2012. It will be located at the west of Xunfenggang , A1 Road, Jinshazhou, Baiyun District. Since the terminus approaches Lishui, Nanhai District, Foshan, many residents...
to Changban with 22 stations and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2012; the 17.6 km long phase two will run from Changban to Xiangxue with 10 stations and will open by 2015. Three stations of phase one and four stations of second phase will be elevated. The line will run four-car trains, but stations of phase two will be constructed to accommodate six-car trains in preparation for a split-off in the future. The line will interchange with Line 1 at Dongshankou
Dongshankou Station
Dongshankou Station is a station of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 1997. It is situated at the underground of Zhongshan Road , Nonglinxia Road , Donghua Road South and Shuqian Road in Yuexiu District. Dongshan is an old business zone in Guangzhou.-Station...
, Line 2 at Haizhu Square
Haizhu Square Station
Haizhu Square Station is a station of Line 2 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations in 29 December 2002. It was situated at the underground of Guangzhou Qiyi Road , Yide Road and Taikang Road in Yuexiu District. It is near Haizhu Square , Guangzhou Hotel and Hotel Canton Landmark ...
, Line 3 at Yantang
Yantang Station
Dongxiaonan Station is a metro station of Line 3 on the Guangzhou Metro. The underground station is located at Guangshan Highway in Tianhe District. It started operation on 30 October 2010. It will also be an interchange station between Line 3 and the future Line 6.-Station layout:...
and Tianhe Coach Terminal
Tianhe Coach Terminal Station
Tianhe Coach Terminal Station is a terminus of Line 3 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations in 30 December 2006. It is located at the underground of the junction of Tianyuan Road and Guangzhou North Ring Expressway in Tianhe District...
, Line 4 at Xiangang, Line 5 at Tanwei and Ouzhuang
Ouzhuang Station
Ouzhuang Station is a station of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of the junction of Huanshi Road East and Nonglinxia Road , Yuexiu District, It opened on 28 December 2009....
, and Line 8 at Cultural Park.
Line 9
The 20.1 km long Line 9 serves Huadu DistrictHuadu District
Huadu District is a district in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It is located in the far northern suburbs of Guangzhou.Xinhua Town is the seat of local government, and of the district CCP committee....
. It will start at Fei'eling and end at Gaozeng
Gaozeng Station
Gaozeng Station , formerly Aigang Station during planning, is a future interchange station of Line 3 and Line 9 on the Guangzhou Metro. The underground station is located at the south of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in Baiyun District. It will start operation in 2012....
, where it will interchange with Line 3. All stations are underground. The line will run six-car trains. In the long term, after the Tianhe Coach Terminal–Tiyu Xilu spur line of Line 3 is split off to form part of Line 10, it will be connected into Line 3 using the reserved switches
Railroad switch
A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
at Gaozeng and become a new spur line.
Tentative time table
| Construction start years | Line | Phase/extension | Terminals | Length (km) | Stations | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under construction | 6 Line 6, Guangzhou Metro Line 6 of the Guangzhou Metro or Luogang Line runs from Liwan District to Tianhe District later toward Luogang District. It starts at Xunfenggang and ends at Changban, interchanging with Line 5 at Tanwei, Line 1 at Huangsha, Line 8 at Cultural Park, Line 2 at Haizhu Square, Line 1 at Dongshankou,... |
1st | Xunfenggang Xunfenggang Station Xunfenggang Station is a future elevated terminus of Guangzhou Metro Line 6 in Guangzhou, China. It will start operations in 2012. It will be located at the west of Xunfenggang , A1 Road, Jinshazhou, Baiyun District. Since the terminus approaches Lishui, Nanhai District, Foshan, many residents... –Changban |
24.5 | 22 | Open by 2013 | |
| 2nd | Changban–Xiangxue | 17.4 | 10 | Open by 2015 | |||
| 9 Line 9, Guangzhou Metro Line 9 of the Guangzhou Metro or Huadu Line is expected to run across Huadu District. It will start at Fei'eling and end at Gaozeng, interchanging with Line 3 at Gaozeng. The total length will be 17.4 km with 8 stations. Line 9's color is violet/purple. Line 9 is expected to be operational... |
1st | Fei'eling–Gaozeng | 20.1 | 9 | Open by 2014 | ||
| 1st | Xilang Xilang Station Xilang Station , formerly Guanggang Station because of nearby Guangzhou Iron and Steel's headquarter when planning, is a terminus of Line 1 of the Guangzhou Metro and Guangfo Line . It started operations in 28 June 1997. It was situated at the underground of Huadi Avenue South in Fangcun, Liwan... –Lijiao Lijiao Station Lijiao Station is a station of Line 3 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations in 28 December 2006. It is located at the underground of Lijiao Village in Haizhu District. It will be an interchange station of Guangfo Metro Line 1 and Guangzhou Metro Line 3 in 2010.-Station layout:... |
11.4 | 7 | Open by end of 2013 | |||
| By 2015 | 3 Line 3, Guangzhou Metro Line 3 of the Guangzhou Metro or Southern-Northern Express Line is a 67.3-kilometer Y-shape line connecting Tianhe Coach Terminal to Panyu Square. Currentl all stations are underground... |
East | Panyu Square Panyu Square Station Panyu Square Station is a terminus of Line 3 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 December 2006. It is located at the underground of the junction of Donghuan Road and Qinghe Road East in Shiqiao Subdistrict , the capital of Panyu District... –Haibang |
9.4 | 4 | Pending approval in short term | |
| 4 Line 4, Guangzhou Metro Line 4 of the Guangzhou Metro or Nansha Line is a north-south line on the system that runs between Huangcun and Jinzhou stations, spanning a total of 43.7 km with 16 stations. It will eventually run from the Guangzhou Science Town to Nansha. The section of the line from Huangcun to Xinzao is... |
South | Jinzhou Jinzhou Station Jinzhou Station is an elevated terminus of Line 4 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 2007. It is located at the junction of Shuangshan Avenue and Guangfeng Road in Huangge Town , Nansha District.... –Nansha Information Technology Park |
11.7 | 6 | |||
| 5 Line 5, Guangzhou Metro Line 5 of the Guangzhou Metro or Huanshilu Line runs from Liwan District to Huangpu District. It starts at Jiaokou and ends at Wenchong. The total length is 31.9 km. Line 5's color is red. Huangpu Line began operation on December 28, 2009 from Jiaokou to Wenchong.-Huanshi Line... |
East | Wenchong Wenchong Station Wenchong Station , formerly Wenyuan Station , is a terminus of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of the junction of Dashadi Donglu and Shihua Lu , in Huangpu District. It opened in December 2009. Line 5 is planned to be extended from Wenchong Station to... –Huangpu Ferry Pier |
9.8 | 5 | |||
| 7 Line 7, Guangzhou Metro Line 7 of the Guangzhou Metro or Panyu Line runs across Panyu District. The first section starts at Guangzhou South Railway Station and ends at Higher Education Mega Center South, interchanging with Line 2 at Guangzhou South Railway Station, Line 3 at Hanxi Changlong, and Line 4 at Higher... |
1st | Guangzhou South Railway Station–Higher Education Mega Center South Higher Education Mega Center South Station Higher Education Mega Center South Station is a station of Line 4 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 26 December 2005. It is located at the underground of the south of Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center , located on the Xiaoguwei Island in Xinzao Town , Panyu District.The... |
21.1 | 9 | |||
| 2nd | Higher Education Mega Center South Higher Education Mega Center South Station Higher Education Mega Center South Station is a station of Line 4 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 26 December 2005. It is located at the underground of the south of Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center , located on the Xiaoguwei Island in Xinzao Town , Panyu District.The... –Dashadong Dashadong Station Dashadong Station , formerly Dashadi Station when planning, is a station of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of the junction of Dashadi Road East and Zhendong Road , in Huangpu District. It opened on 28 December 2009.-Station layout:... |
11.3 | 4 | ||||
| 8 Line 8, Guangzhou Metro Line 8 of the Guangzhou Metro or Pazhou Line is an east-west line on the system that runs from Fenghuang Xincun to Wanshengwei, spanning a total of 14.8km with 13 stations. It interchanges with Line 2 at Changgang, Line 3 at Kecun and Line 4 at Wanshengwei. All stations on Line 8 are underground... |
Fenghuang Xincun–Cultural Park | 1.8 | 2 | Open by 2015 | |||
| North | Cultural Park–Baiyun Lake | 15.0 | 12 | Pending approval in short term | |||
| East | Wanshengwei Wanshengwei Station Wanshengwei Station is an interchange station between Lines 4 and 8 of the Guangzhou Metro, and also the terminus of Line 8. It started operations on 26 December 2005... –Guangzhou Automobile Group Complex |
13.2 | 6 | ||||
| 11 | Guangzhou Railway Station Guangzhou Railway Station (metro) Guangzhou Railway Station is an interchange station of Line 2 and Line 5 of the Guangzhou Metro. It is located at the underground of the west square of Guangzhou Railway Station, located at the junction of Huanshi Road West and December 2009 respectively... –Pazhou Pazhou Station Pazhou Station is a station of Line 8 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 2003. It is located at the underground of Xingang East Road in Pazhou, Haizhu District, with Shangri-La Hotel Pazhou and Guangzhou International Convention Exhibition Center nearby.Before the... –Guangzhou East Railway Station Guangzhou East Railway Station (metro) Guangzhou East Railway Station is an interchange station between Lines 1 and 3 of the Guangzhou Metro. It is located at the underground of Guangzhou East Railway Station in Linhe Zhonglu , Tianhe District... (loop line) |
42.4 | 32 | ||||
| 13 | 1st | Yuzhu Yuzhu Station Yuzhu Station , formerly Maogang Station when planning, is a station of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of Yumao Lu near the south of Maogang Interchange of Huangpu Dadao in Huangpu District... –Xiangjingling |
59.8 | 28 | |||
| 2nd | Huanggang–Yuzhu Yuzhu Station Yuzhu Station , formerly Maogang Station when planning, is a station of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 in Guangzhou, China. It is located at the underground of Yumao Lu near the south of Maogang Interchange of Huangpu Dadao in Huangpu District... |
||||||
| 14 | 1st | Jiahewanggang–Jiekou | 72.8 | 20 | |||
| Spur line | Zhongluotan–Knowledge City | ||||||
| 16 | Xintang–Licheng | 31.7 | 10 | ||||
| 21 | Huangcun–Zengcheng Square | 53.5 | 13 | ||||
| By 2020 | 6 Line 6, Guangzhou Metro Line 6 of the Guangzhou Metro or Luogang Line runs from Liwan District to Tianhe District later toward Luogang District. It starts at Xunfenggang and ends at Changban, interchanging with Line 5 at Tanwei, Line 1 at Huangsha, Line 8 at Cultural Park, Line 2 at Haizhu Square, Line 1 at Dongshankou,... |
East | Xiangxue–Yonghe | 6.9 | 2 | Planned | |
| 10 | Dongsha–Tiyu Xilu | 12.2 | 10 | ||||
| 12 | Chatou–Higher Education Mega Center South Higher Education Mega Center South Station Higher Education Mega Center South Station is a station of Line 4 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 26 December 2005. It is located at the underground of the south of Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center , located on the Xiaoguwei Island in Xinzao Town , Panyu District.The... |
30.1 | 24 | ||||
| 14 | Guangzhou Railway Station Guangzhou Railway Station (metro) Guangzhou Railway Station is an interchange station of Line 2 and Line 5 of the Guangzhou Metro. It is located at the underground of the west square of Guangzhou Railway Station, located at the junction of Huanshi Road West and December 2009 respectively... –Jiahewanggang |
33.2 | |||||
| Jiekou–Yangshenggu | |||||||
| 20 | Guangzhou South Railway Station–Pazhou Pazhou Station Pazhou Station is a station of Line 8 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 2003. It is located at the underground of Xingang East Road in Pazhou, Haizhu District, with Shangri-La Hotel Pazhou and Guangzhou International Convention Exhibition Center nearby.Before the... |
17.5 | 3 | ||||
| By 2040 | 9 Line 9, Guangzhou Metro Line 9 of the Guangzhou Metro or Huadu Line is expected to run across Huadu District. It will start at Fei'eling and end at Gaozeng, interchanging with Line 3 at Gaozeng. The total length will be 17.4 km with 8 stations. Line 9's color is violet/purple. Line 9 is expected to be operational... |
Fei'eling–Forest Park | Long term | ||||
| 14 | Yangshenggu–Liangkou | ||||||
| 15 | Xiaonansha Island–Wanqingsha (loop line) | 30.5 | 15 | ||||
| 17 | Zini–Lianhua Mountain | 25.7 | 11 | ||||
| 18 | Shiqiao–Lianhua Mountain | 31.3 | 15 | ||||
| 19 | Suiyan Lu–Cencun | 29.9 | 21 |
Guangzhou–Foshan metro connections
| # | Guangzhou Metro line | FMetro line |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guangfo Line | |
| 2 | 7 | 2 |
| 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | 10 | 6 |
| 5 | 17 | 7 |
| 6 | Extension of Line 12, Guangzhou Metro from Chatou to Lishui | |
| 7 | Extension of Line 19, Guangzhou Metro to Suiyan Lu | |
Possible cancellations
In the tentative metro construction plan for 2011–2015 published by the Urban Planning Bureau of Guangzhou in March 2010, two new lines, namely Line 20 and Bai'etan Express, were planned as express connections from Guangzhou South Railway Station to PazhouPazhou
Pazhou Island is an island at the southeast of the central district of Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It has the total area of 15 square kilometres...
and Bai'etan. It was reported in April 2010 that those two lines would possibly be built as intercity railways
Inter-city rail
Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country...
rather than metro lines. In the revised plan made public in late April 2010, construction of Line 20 was retained but postponed to 2015–2020, while Bai'etan Express was no longer mentioned.
Fares
Fares of Guangzhou Metro currently range from ¥Renminbi
The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...
2 (a couple of stations) to ¥14 (the longest journeys). A journey shorter than 4 km costs ¥2; ¥1 is charged for every 4 km after 4 km, every 6 km after 12 km, and every 8 km after 24 km. Between 30 October 2010 and 30 October 2010, an additional, undiscountable ¥5 fee was charged for any journey to or from Airport South. Collection of such a fee was approved for one year in July 2010 and expired without extension. The fare for the longest possible journey to the exiting station will be charged if a journey exceeds four hours. Passengers may carry luggage below weight and size limits at no cost or a ¥2 surcharge.
Single journey ticket
Single journey tickets can be bought at a kiosk at every station or at the automatic ticket vending machines. The ticket itself is a contactless radio-frequency plastic token. The user has to tap it on the sensor on the ticket barrier when entering and insert it into a slot at the exit gate where the token is reclaimed. Full base fares are charged for single journey tickets for individuals. Passengers travelling in groups of 30 or larger can enjoy a 10% discount.Yang Cheng Tong and Lingnan Tong
Yang Cheng TongYang Cheng Tong
Yang Cheng Tong, is a contactless rechargeable stored value smartcard designed for paying the travel fares in the metro, buses, taxis and ferries in Guangzhou, China and surrounding cities, namely Foshan, Huadu, Zengcheng and Panyu...
is a contactless smartcard which can be used on the metro and most other forms of public transport in Guangzhou.
Yang Cheng Tong offers discounts for rides on buses and the metro. Within each month, bus and metro rides combined, a 5% discount is available for the first 15 journeys and a 40% discount for all journeys beyond.
Full-time students enrolled in primary, secondary, and vocational schools can apply for student passes, which allow them bus and metro rides at half price. Senior citizens can also obtain special passes. Half price is charged for seniors aged 60–64. Seniors aged 65 and above as well as people with major disabilities ride free on the metro.
Yang Cheng Tong was rebranded in November 2010 as a type of Lingnan Tong , a new transport card that is valid in multiple cities across the Pearl River Delta. Lingnan Tong cards issued in Guangzhou will be named Lingnan Tong·Yang Cheng Tong. Existing cards were automatically upgraded and need not be replaced.
Discontinued ticket types
Guangzhou Metro discontinued the following ticket types in favor of Yang Cheng Tong.Stored value ticket
Stored value tickets were very similar to Yang Cheng Tong, but were admissible only for metro rides and could not be used to pay bus or taxi fares.Monthly pass
Monthly passes were introduced on 1 November 2008 and abolished on 1 May 2010. There were three types of monthly pass:- ¥55 monthly pass for 20 single journeys
- ¥88 monthly pass for 35 single journeys
- ¥115 monthly pass for 50 single journeys
Each journey could travel from one station to any other station regardless of distance. A monthly pass was valid within a calendar month, not the one-month period from the first day it was used. Unused journeys in a month could not be rolled over to a pass for the following month.
Student pass and senior citizen pass
Both were issued by the metro company and used on metro only, allowing the holders to travel free or at half price.Power supply
All Guangzhou Metro lines in operation except the APM are powered by 1,500 VVolt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
. For power transmission, Lines 1, 2, 3 and 8 as well as Guangfo Line use overhead lines
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
, while Lines 4 and 5 use third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
s. Future lines to be built in the short term, including Lines 6, 7, 9 and 13 will also run on 1,500 V DC. All those lines will use overhead lines except for Line 6, which will use third rails. In contrast to the heavy-rail lines, the light-rail APM runs on 600 V AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
supplied by third rails.
Free rides for relatives of Guangzhou Metro employees
Starting from 1997, Guangzhou Metro implemented a policy that allowed free rides for, in addition to its employees, their relatives. The policy was exposed to the public after its validity was questioned at a hearing on metro fares in December 2005. At first, it was reported that up to three lineal kins of each metro employee were allowed free access to the metro. Based on Guangzhou Metro having about 6,000 employees at the time, participants of the hearing estimated that up to 18,000 relatives of metro employees could ride free at an approximate cost of ¥13 million per year.In response to questions on the policy raised at the hearing, Lu Guanglin, then-General Manager of Guangzhou Metro, claimed that relatives of employees with free access would volunteer as security personnel of the metro. He cited counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
when explaining that the policy was not exclusively an employee benefit but also a safety measure. Guangzhou Metro later clarified that only the spouse and at most one pre-college child under 18 of each employee were allowed free access, limiting the number of such people to about 2,000. Free rides were strictly regulated and tracked, with abuse subject to disciplinary actions. An unnamed metro employee estimated that the actual cost per year was ¥3 million rather than ¥13 million.
Following its publicity, the policy sparked widespread criticism. A Nanfang Daily
Nanfang Daily
The Southern Daily is the official Guangdong Communist Party newspaper, sister to the more lively and commercial Southern Metropolis Daily and part of the giant Southern Media Group....
editorial criticised the policy as Guangzhou Metro exploiting public resources to its own interests. It also questioned the competence of relatives of metro employees in counter-terrorism. It further argued that if Guangzhou Metro indeed needed voluntary security personnel, it could have recruited them openly from the public. Such criticism was echoed by hearing participants as well as members of the Municipal People's Congress of Guangzhou. Guangzhou Metro officially abandoned the policy under pressure on 16 December 2005.
Exposure of quality issue
On 11 October 2010, news broke that the concrete structures of two connecting passages in the north extension of Line 3 between Jiahewanggang and LongguiLonggui Station
Longgui Station is a metro station of Line 3 on the Guangzhou Metro. The underground station is located at the north of Guangfa Highway and Nancun Dadao in Baiyun District. It started operation in 30 October 2010.-Station layout:...
had substandard compressive strength. The quality of the two connecting passages was found to be questionable as early as August 2009. But it not was brought to light until a technician who worked for a company that inspected their quality posted scanned copies of the original inspection reports in his blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
in August 2010, and the media picked up the story in October 2010.
The connecting passages were intended as connections between two metro tunnels for the maintenance crew and emergency escape corridors for passengers. Their compressive strength was designed to reach 30 MPa
Pascal (unit)
The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
. However, the lowest values measured in two inspections were only 21.9 MPa and 25.5 MPa, respectively. Guangzhou Metro and Beijing Chang Cheng Bilfinger Berger
Bilfinger Berger
Bilfinger Berger is a large, internationally active construction and services company based in Mannheim, Germany.-History:Bilfinger Berger dates back to 1880 when August Bernatz founded an engineering business which became known, from 1886 as Bernatz & Grün and, from 1892, as Grün & Bilfinger.In...
Construction Engineering Co., Ltd. (BCBB), contractor of the Jiahewanggang–Longgui section, commissioned two inspection companies to perform a total of three inspections. All three inspections reported results below standard. According to the technician who disclosed the issue and another technician who participated in the first inspection, possible consequences of weaker-than-standard concrete structures included collapse of the passages, blockage of groundwater drains, and even paralysation of the metro tunnels.
Alleged fraud attempts in quality inspection
According to the two technicians, BCBB rejected a negative inspection report and conspired with their employer company to produce a fraudulent positive report. In response, both the inspection company and BCBB denied their involvement in any fraud attempts. Su Zhenyu, a deputy manager of the Quality and Safety Division of Guangzhou Metro, admitted the quality issue with the connecting passages but maintained the innocence of Guangzhou Metro. According to him, Guangzhou Metro never received the original inspection reports in 2009 and was unaware of the issue until it received them on 30 September 2010. Su blamed the incident on deceit by BCBB and declared the structures safe for train operation. Su's comments were acknowledged by Guangzhou Metro.Reactions
According to Su, Guangzhou Metro had launched an investigation into the incident and demanded remedial plans for fortifying the structures from the designer after its experts verified that the quality of the passage did not meet the design standard. In its official response, Guangzhou Metro claimed that it had been monitoring the connecting passages since they were completed in August 2009 and noticed no cracks, deformation or leaks. It also commissioned a re-inspection in September 2010 and obtained results comparable to previous ones. Evaluation by the designer of the connecting passages based on these results recognised their structures as safe. Previously in 2009, the designer also evaluated one of the two connecting passages as safe upon demand of BCBB with the standard for its compressive strength at the lowest permissible value of 25 MPa.In the wake of widespread media coverage, the Construction Commission of Guangzhou launched an investigation into the incident. The commission invited an independent expert group to inspect the connecting passages. The expert group reaffirmed that despite their quality was indeed below the design standard, the passages were safe for operation and needed not be strengthened or rebuilt. The commission also confirmed that BCBB violated regulations in concealing negative inspection reports from related parties. The cause of weaker-than-standard concrete structures was blamed by deputy mayor Su Zequn on cement being mixed manually instead of using machinery due to space limitation at the construction site.
The scheduled opening of the north extension of Line 3 on 30 October 2010 was eventually unaffected.
Universal free access in early November 2010
In January 2010, then-mayor Zhang GuangningZhang Guangning
Zhang Guangning was the 14th Mayor of Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China.-Biography:He holds a Masters in the Philosophy of Law and an MBA and graduated from the elite party school of the CPC central committee...
revealled to the media that the local government was considering rewarding residents with an "Asian Games gift package" in acknowledgement of their support for the Games. On 27 September 2010, contents of the gift package were officially announced. Included was universal free access to public transit on 30 workdays in November and December 2010 that would coincide with the schedules of the 2010 Asian Games
2010 Asian Games
The 2010 Asian Games, also known as the XVI Asiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Guangzhou, China from November 12 to November 27, 2010. Guangzhou was the second Chinese city to host the Games, after Beijing in 1990...
and Asian Para Games
2010 Asian Para Games
The 2010 Asian Para Games, also known as the First Asian Para Games, was a parallel sport event for Asian athletes with a disability held in Guangzhou, China...
in urban areas excluding the districts of Panyu, Nansha
Nansha District
Nansha District is a district in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.-External links:*...
and Huadu
Huadu District
Huadu District is a district in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It is located in the far northern suburbs of Guangzhou.Xinhua Town is the seat of local government, and of the district CCP committee....
and the cities of Zengcheng
Zengcheng
Zengcheng , historically known as Tsengshing , is a County-level city in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.It is known for the production of blue jeans. In June 2011 it was the scene of a riot of migrant workers.-External links:*...
and Conghua
Conghua
Conghua , historically known as Tsungfa, is a County-level city in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.-External links:*...
. The measure was intended to compensate for the inconvenience caused by a temporary traffic rule that would ban cars from the streets by the parity of the last digits of their license plates during the Games.
The free rides policy prompted unprecedented enthusiasm from local residents on 1 November 2010, the first day it went into effect. The metro system carried 7.80 million rides, doubling the figure of an average day. Ridership of the day exceeded the previous peak of 5.13 million on National Day
National Day of the People's Republic of China
The National Day of the People's Republic of China is celebrated every year on October 1. It is a public holiday in the People's Republic of China to celebrate their national day.The PRC was founded on October 1, 1949 with a ceremony at Tiananmen Square...
1 October 2010 by a significant margin and set a national record. Metro traffic remained intense in the days that followed. The daily ridership record was refreshed twice on 3 and 5 November 2010, reaching 7.844 million; total ridership amounted to 38.77 million over the entire workweek. Provisional flow control measures were put into force at all stations, but were utterly inadequate to contain traffic far beyond the design capacity of the metro system. Trains were often crammed, and stations were filled with people queuing in swarms to take a free ride. Guangzhou Metro estimated that when the Asian Games opened, daily ridership would surpass 8 million.
Five days after the free rides policy came into force, local authorities decided to rescind the free public transit offer starting from 8 November 2010 and replace it with a cash subsidy program as they deemed the enormous public response a potential security threat to the Games. Registered households and migrant households with presence in the city longer than half a year would each receive a public transit subsidy of ¥150 in cash; individuals in corporate households would each receive ¥50. Residents could claim the subsidies between 12 January and 31 March 2011. Public transit discount policies that were in effect before November 2010 remained unchanged.
See also
- List of Guangzhou Metro stations
- FMetroFMetroFMetro also known as Foshan Metro is the metro system of the city of Foshan in Guangdong Province of China. It is operated by the state-owned Foshan Railway Investment Construction Group and partly by Guangzhou Metro Corporation and is the tenth metro system to be built in mainland China....
- Dongguan Rail TransitDongguan Rail TransitDongguan Rail Transit or Dongguan Metro is the metro system of the city of Dongguan in Guangdong Province of China. Dongguan Rail Transit's will be operate by the state-owned Dongguan Rail Transit Corporation, Limited...
- List of rapid transit systems
- Metro systems by annual passenger ridesMetro systems by annual passenger ridesThe most-used metro systems in terms of passenger rides per year:# Tokyo Subway 3.161 billion # Moscow Metro 2.348 billion # Seoul Subway 2.048 billion...