On December 26, Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station starts operation, and the Shantou South to Shanwei section of the Shantou-Shanwei High-speed Railway also opens to traffic.
Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station
After more than three years of construction, the station has come into service as a comprehensive transportation hub that integrates slow-speed trains, high-speed trains, and intercity transfers.
Covering a total area of 453,000 square meters, it has three main tracks, 21 tracks for departure and arrival, and 21 passenger platforms. There are a total of seven floors, three aboveground and four underground.
As a new city landmark in Guangzhou, the new station accommodates multiple high-speed railway lines, such as the Beijing-Guangzhou High-speed Railway, the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, the Guangzhou-Meizhou-Shantou Railway, and the Guangzhou-Maoming Railway, greatly improving the railway passenger capacity of Guangzhou.
It is about 20 kilometers from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in the east, five kilometers from Guangzhou Railway Station in the south, and two kilometers from Baiyun New Town in the east, a new central business district (CBD) in Baiyun District.
With the running of the new station, the railway authorities will optimize and adjust the operation of other stations including Guangzhou Railway Station and Guangzhou East Railway Station, so as to further facilitate the travel of local residents and offer them a better passenger experience.
Shantou-Shanwei High-speed Railway
The first train, C1893/C1896, will depart from Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station at 9:28 and arrive at Shantou South Railway Station at 11:48. It marks the official opening of the Shantou South to Shanwei section of the Shantou-Shanwei High-speed Railway.
The opened section is about 142 kilometers long. The Shantou Bay undersea tunnel of the Shantou to Shantou South section is still under construction in an orderly manner.
As a new high-speed line in eastern Guangdong, the Shantou-Shanwei High-speed Railway greatly reduces travel time from Shantou South to Shanwei (36 minutes), Guangzhou East (113 minutes), and Shenzhen North (109 minutes) at the fastest speed.
With a total length of 162 kilometers and a design speed of 350 km/h, it has seven stations, including five newly-built ones (Shantou South Railway Station, Chaonan Railway Station, Huilai Railway Station, Lufeng East Railway Station, and Lufeng South Railway Station) and two existing ones (Shantou Railway Station and Shanwei Railway Station).
The opening of the Shantou South to Shanwei section will facilitate the travel of residents along the route and promote coordinated socio-economic development between Shantou and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.