A view of the high-speed railway (HSR) connecting southern China’s Guangzhou with the coastal city of Zhanjiang in Guangdong in December. Photo: Screenshot of CCTV news

The high-speed railway (HSR) connecting southern China’s Guangzhou with th ecoastal city of Zhanjiang was put into operation on Monday, according to a report by the Xinhua News Agency. 

The HSR’s operation significantly shortens the distance between the Beibu Gulf city clusters and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, while providing strong support for high-quality economic and social development in surrounding region.

At 10:30 on Monday, train G-9785 departed from Guangzhou Baiyun Station, while train G9786 left Zhanjiang North Station at the same time. After 1 hour and 32 minutes, the two high-speed trains will arrive at their respective destinations, marking the official opening and operation of the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang HSR, according to a report by the China Central Television (CCTV).

The Guangzhou-Zhanjiang HSR has a total length of 401 kilometers and is designed for a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour. In the initial phase of operation, up to 64 Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train pairs will be operated daily.

The fastest travel time from Guangzhou to Zhanjiang will be reduced to only 1 hour and 32 minutes, which is 61 minutes shorter than the previous Guangzhou-Jiangmen-Zhanjiang route, the CCTV report noted.

The new railway has optimized the regional railway transportation landscape. It allows western Guangdong Province to gain smoother access to the national high-speed railway network, achieving efficient inter-connectivity with major cities in the Greater Bay Area, as well as other economic powerhouses such as the Yangtze River Delta and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Chinese analysts said.

The Guangzhou-Zhanjiang High-Speed Railway connects the cities of Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Yunfu, Yangjiang, Maoming, and Zhanjiang, with a total route length of 401 kilometers and a designed speed of 350 km/h. 

Global Times