On Dec 28, Guangzhou's first metro loop line, Line 11, officially began its initial operation. On the same day, the Guangqing Intercity Railway extension (from Qingcheng Station to Feixia Station) was also launched. 

Guangzhou metro loop Line 11 is marked in gold.

The opening ceremony for Line 11 was held at Caihong Bridge Station in the morning, with nearly 200 representatives of builders and citizens taking the first train together.

Line 11 is approximately 44.2 kilometers long, with a total of 31 stations all underground. Among them, there are 26 transfer stations, and 14 of them will interchange with existing lines at the beginning of the operation. The opening of Guangzhou Railway Station and Guangzhou East Railway Station has been delayed. The line passes through five central districts of Guangzhou, namely Tianhe, Baiyun, Yuexiu, Liwan, and Haizhu, connecting four major hubs: Pazhou, Guangzhoudong Railway Station, Guangzhou Railway Station, and Bai'etan (Fangcun).

The trains are designed for driverless operation and run at 80 km/h. Line 11 does not have a starting station and terminal; the first train will start from multiple stations. The whole round trip takes about 75 minutes each way, with only two yuan as the fare rate. Some trains will end at Longtan Station or Chisha Station as temporary terminals during the low peak period of passenger flow.

Decoration in the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine Station

The overall decoration styles of the stations are themed based on intangible cultural heritage, such as Cantonese Opera, Guangdong Embroidery, Guangdong Colored Porcelain, Guangdong Lion Dance, Guangdong Sculpture, and Traditional Medicine, highlighting the characteristics of Lingnan culture.

The construction difficulty, scale, and construction risk challenges of this line are also considered the most significant in Guangzhou Metro's history. The line crosses the Pearl River three times, passes through public parks five times, crosses railways nine times, and goes under or beside elevated roads or metro tunnels 12 and 9 times, respectively.

In terms of rail transit construction models, standards, and the application of new technologies, it has created nearly 12 domestic initiatives or Guangdong initiatives, and has currently obtained 8 provincial and ministerial-level construction methods and 35 patents.

Guangzhou Metro Line 11

The total metro and intercity railway mileage in the Greater Bay Area operated by Guangzhou Metro surpassed 1,000 kilometers, with 705.1 kilometers of metro and 338.3 kilometers of intercity railway. Guangzhou Metro plans to open 10 new lines (sections) totaling 173 kilometers of routes next year.