Guangzhou metro system to exceed 700 kilometers in 2024

The total operating mileage of the metro system in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, will exceed 700 kilometers following the completion and operation of the city's first circular line by the end of 2024, according to the local metro authorities.

The circular Line 11, crossing Guangzhou's major urban centers with a length of 44.2 km, has fully entered joint testing ahead its opening at the end of the year, according to Liu Jing, a Party committee member of Guangzhou Metro Group.

"The circular line will help make urban rail transit more convenient in the city," said Liu, during a news conference on construction of the city's major investment projects on Friday.

From January to October this year, the metro company completed an investment of 51.32 billion yuan ($7.08 billion) in the city's major projects, accounting for 83.4 percent of the year's investment plan, according to Liu.

The company is advancing construction on 19 rail transit lines totaling 558.4 km, with efforts being put into coordinating the investment and construction of 12 integrated transportation hubs, municipal roads and other projects.

Construction on several intercity railway lines connecting the neighboring cities of Qingyuan and Foshan is progressing steadily, according to Liu.

The Guangzhou-Foshan South Ring and Foshan-Dongguan intercity railways opened in May, linking the five cities of Huizhou, Dongguan, Guangzhou, Foshan and Zhaoqing in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

By the end of the year, the northern extension of the Guangzhou-Qingyuan Intercity Railway will also be completed and opened, bringing the total length of intercity railways operated by Guangzhou Metro Group to 338 km.