With trial runs of Metro line 21 (Zengcheng Square station to Yuancun station) completed successfully, the whole line is expected to open to traffic in coming months.

As the longest metro line in the city, line 21 covers a length of 61.5 kilometers and stops at 21 stations. Nine stations of the line — from Zengcheng Square station to Zhenlongxi station, a distance of 26.2 kilometers — opened to traffic at the end of 2018. The other 12 ones, from Zhenlongxi station to Yuancun station, stretches 35.3 kilometers and will soon be put into operation.

Line 21 is a rapid transit rail line allowing passengers to travel from outer Guangzhou (Zengcheng district) to the city center (Tianhe district) within one hour. And some express trains of the line even enable passengers to cover the whole distance in just 39 minutes, saving up to 20 minutes compared with regular lines.

Interchange stations

Metro line 21 allows transfers with Metro lines 4, 5, 6, 11, 13 and 14.

Interchange with metro line 4: Huangcun station 黄村站

Interchange with metro line 5: Yuancun station 员村站

Interchange with metro line 6: Suyuan station 苏元站

Interchange with metro line 11 and 13: Tianhe Park station 天河公园站

Interchange with metro line 14: Zhenlong station 镇龙站

Facial recognition technology for efficient entry

Instead of using tickets, traffic cards or swiping cell phones to unlock a metro gate, passengers can glance at a screen to unlock the gate within half a second. The facial recognition system has been installed at Tianhe Smart City station of line 21, before it will be applied across the city in the future.

This facial recognition technology is available for passengers after they complete a real-name registration on Guangzhou Metro's official mini-program on WeChat, or on the Guangzhou Metro mobile application.

The fee will be deducted through the payment methods which passengers previously register and validate through mobile phones. They will also receive messages about fees paid.

What's more, 5G-assisted ultra-high definition videos, smart security checks, voice-activated ticket machines, and finger vein recognition technology have also been applied to the station to facilitate management and improve travel experience.