On February 28, the official website of the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission released the 'Reply on the Feasibility Study Report of the New Nansha-Zhuhai (Zhongshan) Intercity Railway Wanqingsha-Xingzhong Section Project,' which means that the Nansha-Zhuhai-Zhongshan Intercity Railway (the southern extension of Guangzhou Metro Line 18) is now ready for construction.

The project is planned to start construction in 2023, with a total planned construction period of 60 months and a total investment of 30.559 billion yuan. Once completed, Nansha and Zhongshan are expected to be connected within 10 minutes.

According to the Reply, in order to improve the layout of the intercity railway network in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, build a 'Greater Bay Area on Rails,' promote the deep integration of the Guangzhou metropolitan area and the Pearl River West Bank metropolitan area, actively advance the deepening of comprehensive Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao cooperation in Nansha, Guangzhou, oriented toward the world, and support the development of key areas in Zhongshan, the new Nansha-Zhuhai (Zhongshan) Intercity Railway Wanqingsha-Xingzhong Section Project is approved.

The main construction content of the project is as follows: the line starts at Wanqingsha Station in Nansha District, Guangzhou, and ends at Xingzhong Station in Zhongshan. The main line of the newly built section is 47.6 kilometers long, including 4.6 kilometers of bridges, 0.15 kilometers of subgrade, and 42.85 kilometers of tunnels. The designed speed of the line is 160 kilometers per hour.

The entire line has 10 stations: Wanqingsha (existing), Shi'erchong, Ershichong, Xiangshan, Huoju, Zhangjiabian, Zhongshan, Qijiang Xincheng, Shiqi, and Xingzhong, with Huoju East Station reserved.

One new Yantongshan parking lot will be built, as well as new Yantongshan and Xiangshan main substations. The line reserves the conditions for extension from Xiangshan Station toward Zhuhai.

The railway grade is intercity railway, and the multiple units will use urban-type D vehicles (compatible with new-type intercity trains in the Greater Bay Area), in 4/8-car formations.

The total estimated investment of the project is 30.559 billion yuan, including 28.254 billion yuan of static investment, 1.199 billion yuan of loan interest during construction, 1.100 billion yuan for rolling stock purchase, and 0.006 billion yuan of initial working capital.

Project capital accounts for 50% of the total investment, amounting to 15.280 billion yuan, of which Guangzhou bears 5.742 billion yuan and Zhongshan bears 9.538 billion yuan. Funds beyond the capital will be raised through bank loans and other financing methods.

The total construction period of the project is 5 years, of which the construction period of the Wanqingsha-Ershichong section will be well coordinated with the construction and operation of the Nansha large urban complex.

Guangzhou Metro Group Co., Ltd. and Zhongshan Rail Transit Co., Ltd. will form a project company as the construction unit, responsible for project construction and operation management.

The reserved project for the extension from Xiangshan Station toward Zhuhai will be implemented simultaneously with an investment of 1.123 billion yuan, which will be funded by Zhongshan first and later included in the Nansha-Zhuhai (Zhongshan) Intercity Railway Xiangshan-Zhuhai Section Project.

Regarding the work requirements for the next step, the Reply proposes:

It is necessary to deepen scheme research and overall coordination. Further study the necessity and feasibility of reserving Shichong Station and Shiji Road Station; deepen the connection scheme with the Nansha-Zhuhai (Zhongshan) Intercity Railway Xiangshan-Zhuhai Section and the long-term Shenzhen-Zhongshan Intercity Railway; and coordinate the planning and construction connection with the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Railway, Shenzhen-Jiangmen Railway, Guangzhou-Zhuhai (Macao) High-Speed Railway and other railways as well as relevant urban rail transit lines.

Implement the requirements of 'unified planning, unified standards, and coordinated operation' for intercity railways in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and actively explore and optimize technical standards in light of the project's passenger flow characteristics, through-operation and transport organization needs, so as to promote the interconnection and commuter-style operation of intercity railways in the Greater Bay Area.