Work begins on massive transport projects
Shenzhen has accelerated construction of transportation infrastructure inside and outside the city to provide a more convenient and efficient network to local residents and closer links to surrounding areas.
The city government announced it will build 177 km of subway lines by 2011 to enable a 30-minute commute from the suburbs to downtown in the special economic zone.
Massive construction projects, including 109 subway stations and other facilities, will begin construction this year.
The Shenzhen subway system could be extended to 422.4 km by 2020, nearly five times the current length of the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR), according to a plan by the municipal urban planning bureau.
Construction on Shenzhen Subway Line 5 began at the end of last year on the key project to smooth traffic flow for the 26th Summer Universiade to be held in Shenzhen in 2011.
The 39.89-km west-east line stops at 27 stations as it makes its way from Nanshan district through parts of Bao'an and Longgang before ending at Huangbeiling in Luohu district. It connects three of the city's six major transport hubs: Qianhai Bay, Longhua Railway Station and the Buji Long-distance Bus Station.
A 36.16-km section of the 20.45 billion yuan project will run underground.
Line 5, which is due to be completed by June 6, 2011, before the Universiade opens, is expected to transport 400,000 passengers a day.
The government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region also announced in April it will proceed with further planning and design of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link that will connect to the mainland express rail network. The link will connect Hong Kong to Shibi in Guangzhou, with intermediate stations at Futian, Longhua in Shenzhen and Humen in Dongguan.
With a total investment of HK$39.5 billion ($5.07 billion), the line is expected to be operational between 2014 and 2015, when it will take just 14 minutes to travel from Shenzhen to Hong Kong.
(China Daily 05/08/2008 page6)
