A cross-border light railway link connecting the Macao Special Administrative Region and Hengqin Island in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, is one step closer to completion, enhancing Macao's integration into the "one-hour living circle" of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The Macao Public Works Bureau announced last week that an interchange facility linking Lotus Station on Macao's Light Rail Transit Taipa line and HE1 station on the Hengqin extension line has been completed.

The 2.2-kilometer extension starts from HE1 station near Lotus Bridge in Macao, runs across Shizimen Waterway to Zhuhai's Hengqin Island through an underwater tunnel, and ends at HE2 station at the front of Hengqin Port.

Construction of the extension line was completed earlier this year and testing has started. With the finalization of the interchange, the overall project is scheduled to be completed in November and put into operation by the end of the year, according to the bureau.

Southern Metropolis Daily reported on Monday that the new LRT line is scheduled to start trial operation in October.

Upon completion, it will create a more comfortable and convenient cross-border travel environment for residents of Zhuhai and Macao, and other cities in the Bay Area, because Hengqin Port is also linked to the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Rail, which fans out to other cities in Guangdong, such as Zhongshan, Foshan and Guangzhou.

The cross-border project is regarded as a public infrastructure priority for this year's 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland.

An extension from Hengqin Port to the Guangzhou-Zhuhai-Macao high-speed railway route, which starts from Guangzhou North station, is also in the planning stages.

According to the Hengqin Checkpoint, the number of inbound and outbound passengers through the port exceeded 16.7 million last year, double the number in 2022. In the first half of this year, the number has surged 44 percent year-on-year.

Hengqin Port has been an important gateway for entering and exiting Macao during the summer vacation, an officer at the checkpoint said. The island's Zhuhai Chimelong International Ocean Resort, a favorite destination for families, is linked with Hengqin Port through intercity rail transit.

He said the cross-border travel route of "Hengqin plus Macao" is becoming increasingly popular, making it the preferred holiday travel choice for many residents of the Bay Area.

Dai Min, a passenger from the Chinese mainland, visited Macao and Zhuhai from Shenzhen over the weekend. She said she took a free shuttle bus to her hotel after arriving through Hengqin Port.

Several hotels in Macao provide frequent free shuttle bus services to and from Hengqin Port every day and visitors can also take public buses.

"The drive between the checkpoint and our hotel in Macao was about 20 minutes," Dai said. "I think the transportation between Hengqin and Macao is already very convenient, but I also would like to have a try when the new LRT service opens."

grace@chinadailyhk.com