How will China’s new high-speed rail line connect Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong?

Planning for a second express rail link in southern China’s most vibrant urban cluster is being revved up to streamline travel between the tech hub of Shenzhen and the commercial powerhouse of Guangzhou, while also benefiting Hong Kong.

Construction is now in full swing after Shenzhen broke ground on the southern end of the future high-speed rail artery in June. The project begins with a new station at Terminal 1 of the city’s airport, with space reserved for a future cross-border extension into Hong Kong.

This marks the start of the first supporting project of the new line, where bullet trains will cruise at speeds of up to 350km/h (217mph), Shenzhen media reported. The artery will tightly weave together the city centres of Guangzhou, Dongguan and Shenzhen, dramatically compressing the distance between these urban hubs and their major aviation gateways.

While China has reined in approvals and budgeting for other expensive rail links, as years of rapid infrastructure buildout wind down, the second Guangzhou-Shenzhen high-speed railway is a rare exception. State and provincial authorities have already given the project the green light.

In January, the project was included in Guangdong’s provincial five-year plan that aims to further integrate Shenzhen and Guangzhou into a megalopolis. The gross domestic product of each city in 2025 ranked among the top 10 cities in Asia.

Six years ago, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s top economic planner, incorporated the project into an infrastructure interconnectivity plan for the Greater Bay Area development zone.

The new line’s inclusion in the bay area planning by the NDRC, which has the power to propose, scrutinise and approve key infrastructure plans, was said to be driven by growing congestion on existing routes over the years.