The Guangzhou Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau recently unveiled a draft of the "Overall Plan of Guangzhou for 2018-2035" to solicit public opinion. "The core of building an intercity circle is to develop rail transport," said Peng Gaofeng, director of the bureau. Guangzhou will build a transportation network to connect major cities in the Greater Bay Area, creating a "one hour traffic circle."

Metro lines to connect Foshan

The Guangfo line, which was opened on November 3, 2010, was the first intercity metro line in China, connecting Guangzhou and Foshan city. Foshan will have nine more metro lines to connect with Guangzhou in the future: Foshan metro lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11. These lines will connect with Guangzhou metro lines 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 22.

Foshan metro line 2 will start a trial run in 2020, while Foshan metro line 3 will start in 2022. By the end of 2025, Foshan metro lines 4 and line 11 will be open to the public.

In addition, Guangzhou metro line 28, the only express metro line to connect Foshan with a speed of 160 kilometers per hour, will be completed by 2025. The line is 63.8 kilometers in length, cutting across Zengcheng, Huangpu, Tianhe, Haizhu and Liwan district, before going into Foshan.

Metro lines to connect Dongguan

The plan for the "one hour traffic circle" to connect bay area cities will include five metro lines in Dongguan city which connect with Guangzhou. Among them is Dongguan metro line 1, which has 21 stations and will connect with Guangzhou metro line 5. Dongguan metro line 1 currently is under construction and will be completed by 2022.

Metro line 18 to connect Zhongshan and Zhuhai

With a length of 62.5 kilometers, Guangzhou metro line 18 goes through Tianhe, Haizhu, Panyu and Nansha districts. It is a high speed metro line designed to travel above 160 kilometers per hour. In the future, it will stretch southwards to Zhongshan and Zhuhai city.