On September 29, the Guangzhou East Ring Intercity Railway (Panyu-Baiyun Airport North) and the PaLian Intercity Railway commenced operations, interconnecting with four existing lines including Guangzhao and Guanghui routes. This expansion integrates six cities—Guangzhou, Foshan, and Dongguan—pushing Guangdong’s intercity rail network beyond 400km and transforming the Greater Bay Area’s (GBA) rail system from linear corridors to a comprehensive network.
Guangzhou East Ring Intercity spans 57.8 kilometers in total length，features 13 stations and forms the GBA’s “vertical-horizontal main axis” with Guangzhao and Guanghui lines. PaLian Intercity spans 18.2 kilometers in total length, with 4 stations, enhances Pazhou’s “exhibition-tourism” hub functionality. More than half of the two lines’ total length managed by China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) South China Construction Co., Ltd. , Designed by China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group Co., Ltd. (CRSSDI), the project involved construction by multiple CRCC subsidiaries including China Railway 14th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., China Railway 16th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., China Railway 22nd Bureau Group Co., Ltd., China Railway 25th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., China Railway Construction Group Co., Ltd., and CRCC Electric Power Construction Group Co., Ltd..
Engineering Marvels: Overcome Geological Challenges
Facing extreme construction difficulties—dubbed “threading a needle underground”—navigating complex strata, urban cores, interlaced highvoltage grid , and dense infrastructure. the teams implemented multiple innovative solutions .
Maofengshan Station: A duallayer underground station adjacent to 220KV power lines, where a custom “sidewall-midplate integrated formwork” reduced concrete pouring cycles from 7 to 2 days (3.5x efficiency gain).
Cencun Station: Built in confined spaces using “semicovered excavation + skippit methods,” The project construction team completed the 324-meter underground station achieving zero road closures or utility disruptions.
Longda-Zhilong Tunnels: 392 riskfree shield machine interventions through 9.6km of granite, with zero building settlement or leaks. A selfpropelled hydraulic invert bridge enabled simultaneous tunneling and muck removal, completed an ultra-deep shield shaft exceeding 800 square meters in cross-section and setting a national record for 65mdeep shafts.
The PaLian line tackled shallow overburdens (2.98m), tight curves (800m radius), and 30‰ gradients while crossing 37 fish ponds. A 9m dualmode shield machine and aerodynamic tunnel design standards optimized costefficiency.
Smart Construction & Operational Innovations
A proprietary “Rail Transit Construction Management Platform” digitized personnel, machinery, and materials:
Realtime worker tracking with geofenced hazard alerts.
Sensormonitored shield parameters and AIdriven fault predictions (17 preemptive warnings, 300+ downtime hours saved).
QR-code material traceability and BIM-enabled “stationtunnel integrated” disaster prevention.
For tracklaying in 45km tunnels with 30‰ slopes, AIassisted laser inspection ensured 176km/h testspeed compliance.
CulturalArchitectural Fusion
Stations blend local heritage with functionality:
Cencun station: Cantonese musical motifs in undulating aluminum ceilings.
Dashi station: Modern reinterpretations of waterside architecture.
Baiyun Airport T3: “Silk Road” cultural walls as a gateway icon.
Pazhou station: “Pearl on the Sea” concept with expansive doublering halls.
Over 1,800㎡ of underground retail space enhances passenger experience while supporting transitoriented development.
Seamless Mobility for the GBA
Adopting “allstop/express/direct” metrolike operations, the lines accept Guangzhou Metro APP, national transit cards, and Lingnan Tong payments.
The synchronized opening of Guangzhou East Ring (Panyu-Baiyun Airport North) and PaLian Intercity Railways on September 29 signifies the GBA’s transition to networked operations. Overcoming record hydrostatic pressures and urban tunneling risks, China Railway Construction teams achieved seamless interchanges with highspeed rail and metro systems,.The initiative has significantly boosted the “306090” transportation network, benefiting 1.28 million crosscity commuters—including 375,000 daily GuangzhouFoshan travelers—and forging a “CBD on Rails” to elevate regional competitiveness.