On December 26, the Zhengzhou Rail Transit Airport Economy Zone–Xuchang Regional Railway Project (Zhengzhou Section) broke ground, marking that the integrated development of Zhengzhou and Xuchang has entered a substantive stage.
According to introduction, the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone–Xuchang Regional Railway Project (Zhengzhou Section), namely the Zhengzhou Metro Line 17 Regional Express, is an "L"-shaped rail transit backbone line within the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone. It is a leading project for Zhengzhou–Xuchang alignment, industrial upgrading and integrated development, and also an important project for building the "one-hour commuting circle" of the Zhengzhou metropolitan area.
It is understood that the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone–Xuchang Regional Railway Project is a backbone route of the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration rail transit network, with a total length of about 59 km. The line connects Xinzheng Airport, Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone, Changge and Xuchang, running through the core area of the Zhengzhou–Xuchang industrial belt of the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration. It is designed for a speed of 120 km/h and achieves bus-style operation through "high density and short train formation," with a full-journey operating time of 51 to 57 minutes.
The line starts in the north at Gangqu North Station in the commercial sub-center of the northeastern part of the Airport Economy Zone, and ends in the south at Gongye Shilu Station in the "Shuanghe Lake" area. The line is about 35.20 km long in total, with 17 stations. It is mainly laid along Chaohu Road (formerly Longzhong Highway), Huaxia Avenue, Yingbin Avenue, the airport and Yongzhou Road (Hangxing Road). After leaving Gongye Shilu Station, the line continues southward and connects to the Xuchang Section of the Airport Economy Zone–Xuchang Regional Railway.
According to the administrative boundary, construction is carried out separately in the Zhengzhou Section and the Xuchang Section. The project is the first regional railway project in China connecting the core areas of two cities, and the full-line joint commissioning is planned to be completed by the end of September 2020.
Section 06 of the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone–Xuchang Regional Railway Project (Zhengzhou Section), constructed by China Railway 16th Bureau Group, is the "throat" project of the entire line and also the earliest section to start construction.