China's longest cross-city "subway" is coming

China News Weekly

2024-05-23 16:34Published on the official account of China News Weekly in Beijing

A 258-kilometer-long east-west "subway" intercity artery spanning the five cities of Guangzhou, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhaoqing and Huizhou is coming.

Recently, the Guangzhou-Foshan South Ring Road and Foguan Intercity Railway, which have attracted much attention in the Pearl River Delta region, will be connected to the Foshan-Zhaozhou Intercity Railway and Dongguan-Huizhou Intercity Railway that have been opened and operated.

Different from the traditional intercity railway, the line will fully enable the bus and subway operation mode of "station stop + big station express", and passengers can go at any time without purchasing tickets in advance. At the same time, it supports the use of local transportation cards to swipe cards and scan codes to get on the bus, which is convenient and fast.

Because this mode is fundamentally different from the traditional intercity railway, and is closer to the daily subway travel mode, it has been jokingly called "Guangdong large subway" by many netizens.

Although other urban agglomerations have tried to "subway" similar intercity railways, the scope is relatively small, such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which is the first time in China that it has run through more than 250 kilometers and spans five cities.

"Metroization" of rail transit

The rail transit system of the continental urban agglomeration is usually divided into four levels: urban rail transit, which is dominated by subways and meets the needs of multimodal travel within the city; It mainly supports urban (suburban) rail transit with tidal commuting between the central urban area and the periphery of the city (or metropolitan area); Intercity rail transit, which is mainly in the form of intercity railway, mainly supports a variety of travel needs between different cities in the urban agglomeration; It is mainly based on high-speed rail or ordinary railway, and serves rail transit for cross-regional travel.

Yang Hao, a professor at the School of Transportation at Beijing Jiaotong University, told China News Weekly that the integrated planning, construction and operation of urban rail transit, urban (suburban) rail, and intercity rail is the future development direction. This model can not only meet the personalized travel needs of passengers, but also optimize the allocation and utilization of transportation service resources, which is an advanced form of development of rail passenger transportation and an innovation of the service format of the operation and management system.

Xu Kunjie, director of the Propaganda Department of Guangzhou Metro Group, once said that the Guangzhou-Foshan South Ring Road and Foguan Intercity Railway will be put into operation as soon as possible after completing the trial operation and various corresponding procedures, effectively strengthening the regional transportation links of Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Dongguan and Huizhou, and accelerating the formation of a one-hour commuting circle in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

For example, it takes about 30 minutes to take the "Big Station Express" from Guangzhou Chimelong Station to Foshan West Railway Station and Dongguan Xiping West Station, and about 60 minutes to Zhaoqing Dinghu East Station and Huizhou Chenjiang South Station, which will realize 30 minutes from Guangzhou to Foshan and Dongguan centers, and 60 minutes to other cities.

China's longest cross-city "subway" is coming

After the opening of the fourth line, it will span 5 cities. The picture is from Guangdong

Li Peilin, an associate researcher at the Institute of Land Development and Regional Economy of the National Development and Reform Commission, said in an interview with China News Weekly that after the new Guangzhou-Foshan South Ring Road and Foguan-Dongguan Intercity Railway are connected to the Foshan-Zhaozhou Intercity Railway and the Dongguan-Huizhou Intercity Railway, the east-west direction runs through the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which complements the current north-south intercity railway network, which is conducive to promoting cross-strait exchanges at the Pearl River Estuary and improving the rail transit layout of the Greater Bay Area.

It is worth noting that these four intercity railways adopt a transit-oriented development model (TOD development model), which is conducive to combining the extension direction of rail transit with urban functions and land value along the route, driving economic growth along the route and forming a new economic belt.

Li Peilin pointed out that the four intercity railways spanning multiple cities need to achieve unification in terms of fares, railway operating systems, management, etc., and coordinate the sharing of fiscal taxes and fees between cities and superstructure property (a type of property built on the subway track system). This is not only conducive to giving full play to the integration mechanism of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, promoting smooth communication within the region, but also conducive to feeding back public services in various regions and forming a virtuous circle.

At the same time, Li Peilin also mentioned that the biggest difficulty in cross-regional collaborative promotion lies in the distribution of benefits, and it is necessary to cooperate with market-oriented superstructure properties, explore a reasonable cooperation mechanism, and balance the interests of all parties, so as to effectively promote the development of TOD suitable for intercity rail transit.

One net, one ticket, one string of cities

Li Peilin mentioned that the travel demand within the urban agglomeration is mainly divided into commuting tidal travel, leisure travel and cross-regional business travel, and different travel needs should be matched with appropriate rail transit services.

He said that at present, there is a mismatch between rail transit services and travel demand in some areas, which hinders the development of regional integration. These four intercity railways adopt a bus-based operation model, expanding the scope of the one-hour commuting circle in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, promoting regional economic integration from the macro level, allowing more families to expand their employment options from the micro level, and enhancing their sense of happiness and job gain, which has both economic and social significance.

"It can promote different cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to give full play to their comparative advantages, create differentiated industries and functions, form an open and network-based economic zone, and enhance regional competitiveness." Li Peilin said.

Zeng Gang, dean of the Urban Development Research Institute of East China Normal University, told China News Weekly that in the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration, Guangzhou has a high degree of land development and utilization, and the central area of the city has the problem of "over-density" of buildings to a certain extent.

The picture shows the city of Guangzhou. Diagram / Diagram Worm Creativity

He said that on the one hand, it can give full play to the radiation and driving role of Guangzhou's core cities, provide new impetus for Foshan, Dongguan, Zhaoqing, Huizhou and other cities to become bigger and stronger, and at the same time provide new opportunities for Guangzhou to "change cages for birds" and upgrade functions. On the other hand, we can also close the process of urbanization and the flow of people, logistics, information, technology and capital between cities along the route, and promote the integration of government, industry, academia and research in the Guangzhou metropolitan area and the Shenzhen metropolitan area, so as to provide a better foundation for regional cooperation for the development of new quality productive forces.

Train number from Dongguan to Foshan. Photo/Photo by China News Service reporter Chen Jimin

"The experience of 'one network, one ticket, one string of cities' of the 'intercity subway' in the Pearl River Delta will provide a new model and new path for local governments to participate in the investment, operation and management of rail transit and the reform and innovation of the regional railway system in the mainland." Zeng Gang said.

Liu Lizi, deputy director of the Institute of Urban Culture of the Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences, told China News Weekly that the Pearl River Delta region is actively promoting the integration of industry and urban and rural areas, and rail transit plays a vital role in this process. The Pearl River Delta region is characterized by the development of specialized towns, which are characterized by prominent leading industries and the formation of a certain scale of population agglomeration. Through the construction of rail transit, it can effectively link the towns and villages with the central cities, and promote the integration of urban and rural areas and the flow of population.

She said that in general, new population and industrial agglomeration points will be formed around the rail transit station entrance, and the stations can be planned as ecological barriers and green belts to achieve balanced regional development.

"The ideal state of urban-rural integration is not the unlimited expansion of the urban center, but the formation of a livable environment combining nature and characteristic industries near the rail transit station through convenient transportation connections. Different industries and groups of people can choose their places of residence and work according to their needs, forming an urban development pattern of industry-city integration and integration of three industries. Liu Lizi said.

Zeng Gang believes that in the process of building stations along the intercity "subway" in the Pearl River Delta, it is also necessary to pay attention to the connection of the regional comprehensive transportation network near the station and build an urban public transport system with convenient transfers; Pay attention to the linkage and mutual assistance between the station and nearby institutions, communities and green spaces, enrich the comprehensive service content and mode of the intercity "subway", optimize the functions of the surrounding areas of the station, and improve the operation and economic efficiency of relevant parties.

Can it be rolled out nationwide?

Nationwide, with the increase in demand for population flow and resource sharing between cities, many places are exploring the development path of connecting urban agglomerations in the form of "intercity railway + urban rail transit".

The transfer is seamless, the ticket system is unified, and the departure interval is getting shorter and shorter...... The convergence of the boundaries of various commuting modes has improved the travel experience for ordinary passengers, with many cities having achieved seamless connections from subway stations at one end and intercity railways at the other.

A self-service center inside the station. The picture is from Guangdong

From the central level, in recent years, it has also been promoting the "integration of four networks" of rail transit.

On February 28 this year, Fei Dongbin, director of the State Railway Administration, said at a press conference held by the Information Office of the State Council that with the continuous development of urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas in the mainland, the demand for the "integration of four networks" of rail transit is becoming more and more urgent, especially the interconnection and integrated development of subways and intercity railways and urban (suburban) railways. He mentioned that at present, the subway and railway have different standards in terms of vehicle system, power supply mode, signal system and transportation organization, and there are still some stuck points and blockages in the "hard connection" of infrastructure and the "soft connection" of rules and standards.

"We will guide local governments to further optimize the layout of intercity railways and urban (suburban) railways in the region, plan the next stage of rail transit planning and construction, and promote the construction of a highly integrated facility network; Strengthen the support of standards, focus on standard compatibility and vehicle integration, study and formulate technical specifications for rail transit interconnection, and formulate and revise a number of urgently needed equipment technology, engineering construction and transportation service standards. He said.

At that time, Fei Dongbin revealed that the transportation department will carry out pilot projects in key areas such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and vigorously promote the interconnection of rail transit facilities, ticket system interoperability, mutual trust in security inspections, and information sharing.

In fact, there has been a long discussion about whether the "subway" of rail transit can be promoted nationwide.

As early as 2013, Shanghai Metro Line 11 was extended to Huaqiao Town in Kunshan, Suzhou. Since then, more and more cross-city subways have been opened. For example, in April 2022, the main line of Shaoxing Metro Line 1 was opened to traffic, building a one-hour traffic circle from Shaoxing urban area to Hangzhou urban area. So far, a "super long subway line" with a total length of nearly 150 kilometers across the main urban areas of the two cities has opened the "same city era" in Hangzhou and Shaoxing.

At the same time, in central China, the southern extension of Changsha Metro Line 3, Hunan's first cross-city subway, has also been opened. The line will connect the two urban areas of Changsha and Xiangtan, and the commuting time between the two places will be shortened to more than 20 minutes.

However, in the opinion of many respondents, although the "subway" of rail transit is not difficult to achieve technically, it still needs to be demonstrated by many parties due to the institutional issues involved. Taking the Guangzhou-Foshan South Ring Road and Foguan Intercity as examples, after the completion of the project, it has attracted attention due to the long-term inability to promote operation.

An industry insider told China News Weekly that the crux of the problem was that the two sides could not reach an agreement on the equity of the joint venture railway.

In the past, the railway and the subway belonged to two systems, one belonged to the China Railway Group and the other belonged to the local subway company, and how to break the "barrier" between the two could not be achieved overnight.

In 2018, the Guangdong Provincial Government entrusted Guangzhou Metro Group to undertake the operation of the Pearl River Delta Intercity Railway. In 2019, Guangdong Intercity Railway Operation Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Guangdong Intercity Railway Operation Company"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Guangzhou Metro Group, was officially inaugurated, and its main business is intercity railway passenger transportation.

In October 2020, the official website of the State Railway Administration updated the list of access permits for railway transport enterprises, and Guangdong Intercity Railway Operating Company obtained the intercity railway passenger transport license, which means that the last pass of Guangzhou Metro Group's independent operation of the Pearl River Delta intercity railway network has been opened.

On November 30, 2020, Guangqing Intercity and Guangzhou East Ring Intercity were opened, and both lines were independently operated by Guangdong Intercity Railway Operating Company, creating a precedent for local operation of intercity rail in China, which is considered to have important reference significance for the operation mode of intercity rail in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and even in China.

It is understood that in accordance with the principle of "comprehensive takeover, step-by-step implementation, balanced deployment, and orderly advancement", Guangdong Province has formulated a package of operation takeover plans. By 2025, Guangzhou Metro Group will independently operate about 700 kilometers of intercity railway lines in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Yang Hao believes that whether the intercity railway "subway" operation can be promoted to more regions, mainly depends on the development of these regional rail transit networks and the closeness of economic and cultural ties, and the follow-up may appear in the Yangtze River Delta and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei to follow up the new pattern.

Taking the Yangtze River Delta as an example, Li Peilin mentioned that the Yangtze River Delta region has a high economic density and a strong demand for intercity connections. However, due to the frequent high-speed railways between Beijing and Shanghai and Hangzhou, and the use of high-speed railways in Suzhou, Kunshan, Jiaxing, Haining and other places has been able to achieve more convenient travel, the substitution effect of new intercity railways on hot spots is limited, and the "cost performance" is not high. However, there is still room to promote the "subway" of intercity railways in the Yangtze River Delta Integration Demonstration Zone and in areas where industrial and economic ties such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Anhui are becoming increasingly close, but not covered by high-frequency high-speed railways.

However, Li Peilin said frankly that the difficulty in promoting the "subway" operation of intercity railways in the Yangtze River Delta region lies in whether the meso-scale passenger flow is enough to support revenue. He said that the Pearl River Delta region has a large demand for east-west cross-city passenger flow, and it is still possible to cultivate new population and industrial agglomeration areas through the TOD model, bringing new investment and financial benefits. The geographical scale of the Yangtze River Delta region is larger, and the distance between the central urban areas of the core area and megacities is generally more than 100 kilometers, and the hardware and software costs required for the "subway" operation of rail transit are higher, so it is necessary to analyze the passenger flow of each line, and then decide whether to build or renovate the existing lines and adopt the "subway" operation mode.

Author: Chen Shulian

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