Fast track links Guangzhou & Shenzhen

A new high speed railway line has just opened in Guangdong Province. It links the province’s two largest cities, Guangzhou and Shenzhen and cuts travel time by half.

On the fast track, things are moving swiftly for those living in the two most dynamic cities in southern China. The new railway connects Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and is scheduled to extend to Hong Kong in 2015.

With trains running at up to 300 kilometres per hour, the intercity journey takes just 35 minutes, only half of what it used to take.

Moderately priced, a one way ticket costs 100 yuan in first class and 75 yuan in second-class. That’s nearly the same as for the normal express trains.

The trains arrive in Guangzhou’s south railway station, which is also the terminal for the Guangzhou-Wuhan high speed line. This integration is a huge convenience for some passengers.

“Now I don’t have to change trains if I have to transfer to other high-speed railways in Guangzhou.”

But at both ends of the line, the stations are located far from the city center. This means any time saved on the high-speed train is wasted on transit.

“I live in the northern part of city, but the station is in the south. It will take me an hour to get to the station.”

But this should change when the Hong Kong extension opens in 2015. The line will then integrate Hong Kong into the country’s high speed railway network, considerably shortening journeys across Southern part of China.