Introduction to the Pearl River Delta Intercity Rapid Rail Transit

The Pearl River Delta Intercity Rapid Rail Transit is an intercity rail transit system that is planned and being gradually implemented in Guangdong Province, China. This comprehensive transportation system will center on Guangzhou and connect the Pearl River Delta region including Hong Kong and Macau[1]. On March 16, 2005, the State Council reviewed and approved in principle the “Intercity Rail Transit Network Plan for the Bohai Rim Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, Yangtze River Delta Region, and Pearl River Delta Region” [2]. As of August 2009, there are currently 23 planned lines (including lines under construction), and the total length of the railway network has reached 1,890 kilometers. It is expected that by 2030, the Pearl River Delta region will have built intercity rail transit covering basically all towns above the county level. network[3]. The construction and operation of these intercity rail transit lines are handled by the Guangdong Railway Construction Investment Group Company, a wholly state-owned company invested and established by the Guangdong Provincial Government.