Recently, the Guangzhou Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, together with the Foshan Municipal Natural Resources Bureau, jointly compiled a new round of the "Guangzhou-Foshan Road Connection Planning Revision," which mentions that Guangzhou and Foshan will build new intercity rail lines in the future. The reporter learned that the "Social Stability Risk Analysis Report for the New Pearl River Delta Intercity Rail Transit Guangzhou-Foshan Loop Line Project from Foshan West Station to Guangzhou North Station" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report") is currently soliciting public opinions. It mentions that the western section of the Guangzhou-Foshan Loop Line (Foshan West to Guangzhou North) is planned to be 44.7 kilometers long, with 4 stations in Foshan, all located in Nanhai District.

Today, rail transit is widely used for cross-regional transportation due to its punctual departure times and large unit carrying capacity. However, a single Guangzhou-Foshan Metro line cannot meet the development needs of Guangzhou and Foshan. Establishing a "intercity rail + metro" model is an inevitable choice for accelerated regional development. The Guangzhou-Foshan Loop Line, which has been highly anticipated for several years, is the best example, and its operating lines are continuously being optimized.

In March 2019, media reported that the Guangzhou-Foshan Loop Line was expected to open within 2019. By November 2020, the Foshan Municipal Rail Transit Bureau stated on a livelihood program that the first section of the Guangzhou-Foshan Loop Line, originally scheduled to open before the end of that year, could not be opened because some land use procedures had not yet been completed. It can be opened as soon as possible after the land use procedures are completed.

Of course, only when the Guangzhou-Foshan Loop Line becomes a closed loop can it maximize its effectiveness. The Foshan Municipal Rail Transit Bureau revealed last year that the western ring of the Guangzhou-Foshan Loop Line, namely from Foshan West Station to Guangzhou North Station, is planned to start construction at the end of 2021.

According to the plan, the Guangzhou-Foshan Loop Line intercity railway is divided into four sections: the southern section (Foshan West to Guangzhou South), the eastern section (Guangzhou South to Baiyun Airport), the northern section (Baiyun Airport North to Guangzhou North), and the western section (Foshan West to Guangzhou North). Among them, the northern section of the Guangzhou-Foshan Loop Line from Baiyun Airport North to Guangzhou North officially began operation in November 2020.

According to the "Report," the section from Foshan West Station to Guangzhou North Station of the Guangzhou-Foshan Loop Line runs north-south, connecting southward to the under-construction section from Foshan West Station to Guangzhou South Station. The Guangzhou section is 14.367 kilometers long, and the Foshan section is 30.369 kilometers long. The Foshan section will have 4 stations in Nanhai District: Shishan East, Dalan, Guanyao South, and Hegui.

In terms of service scope, once the Guangzhou-Foshan Loop Line is completed, Foshan New City, Guangzhou North Station, Guangzhou Smart City, and Foshan West Station—areas that previously had no direct transportation but are key development areas for both Guangzhou and Foshan—will be connected into one integrated entity by an intercity loop line of about 147 kilometers. In other words, the Guangzhou-Foshan Loop Line will link up the core circle projects of both cities.

For citizens, in the future, Foshan West Station, Guangzhou South Station, Guangzhou North Station, and even Baiyun Airport can all be connected through the Guangzhou-Foshan Loop Line, making cross-regional travel more convenient.