Sources with Guangzhou Metro Corporate reveal yesterday (July 8th) that the blue print of Guangzhou's underground network will probably be reworked, in an effort to facilitate the city's traffic upgrade, especially the connection between downtown and new airport, after Guangzhou won the bid to host the 2010 Asian Games.

In the new plan the construction of the Airport Metro Express will be moved up and will be completed before the year of 2010.

According to Lu Guanglin, General Manager of the Guangzhou Metro Corporate, nine metro lines, including line 1, line 2, line 3, line 4, line 5, line 8, line 14 and Guangzhou-Foshan Line, with a length amounting to 200 kilometres, are expected to finish by the year of 2010. The Airport Express Line is otherwise significant because of the fact that Hua Du, where the new Guangzhou Airport located, is going to become a district under Guangzhou's jurisdiction.

Lu also discloses that the New Express Line will definitely see a cost saving, because the Corporate gains experience in construction of the already completed Line 1 and Line 2.

The Line is also going to be the cheapest transport means connecting Guangzhou downtown and the new airport. It is estimated that the train fare will be 30% less than the coach fare.

For the train of the new line to the airport will travel at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour, it will take only 20 minutes to go to the airport.

Editor: Wings