Half the Time from Fangcun to South Railway Station
In the early morning of December 29, the extension section (Fangcun — Chentougang) of Guangzhou Metro Line 22 was put into operation, marking the full-line operation of Line 22 (Fangcun — Panyu Square). Connecting two major urban hubs of Baietan and Guangzhou South Railway Station, it has greatly shortened the temporal and spatial distance between Fangcun and Panyu. Up to now, Guangzhou Metro has opened a total of nearly 250 kilometers of new lines during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, with the total operational mileage reaching nearly 780 kilometers, ranking third in China.
As of 20:00 on December 29, the passenger volume (inbound passengers + transfer passengers) of Line 22 reached 118,900, an increase of 70,100 compared with December 21 (48,800); the outbound passenger volume stood at 64,900, a rise of 32,500 from December 21 (32,400).
Experience: Seats Available on Every Train During Morning Peak; Retirees “Check in” at Each Station
With a total length of 29.7 kilometers and a speed of 160 kilometers per hour, Line 22 (Fangcun — Panyu Square) has a 11.5-kilometer extension section that opened on December 29. Running from south to north, the extension section has four stations: Nanpuxi, Nanjiao, Xilang and Fangcun. Xilang Station allows transfers to Line 1, Line 10 and Guangfo Line, while Fangcun Station supports transfers to Line 1 and Line 11.
During the morning peak hours from 8:00 to 8:30 on December 29, reporters took Line 22 back and forth and found seats available on every train, making the ride quite comfortable. Even at downtown stations like Xilang and Fangcun, only some carriages were fully occupied. This is a common scenario for newly opened Guangzhou Metro lines, as local residents tend to be slow to adopt new services, and passenger flow needs time to build up.
“For people living in Panyu, taking Line 22 to old urban areas such as Liwan and Yuexiu has greatly improved travel efficiency,” said Mr. Zhou, a passenger living near Shiguang Road Station on Line 22. He added, “Previously, we had no choice but to take Line 2 to go to the old city. Now, Line 22 has fewer stops and faster speed, resulting in shorter travel time and a more comfortable experience. With the two major transfer stations of Fangcun and Xilang, we can easily access Line 1, Line 11, Line 10 and Guangfo Line, greatly enhancing travel convenience.”
Ms. Pan, a retired resident, came to experience the new line early in the morning. She set up a tripod in the carriage to take videos, planning to “check in” at each station. “I live in Huangsha, just one stop away from Fangcun, the starting point of Line 22. I usually go to places like Xilang, Guangzhou South Railway Station and Panyu Square. Today, I specially came to see how fast the new line is.” Cuicui, another retired resident living near Shiguang Road Station, also made a special trip to be among the first to try the new line. She said, “Line 22 has always been comfortable, with spacious stations and available seats. Today, I came to experience the extension section, and it will be much more convenient to travel to downtown areas and Foshan in the future.”
At around 10:00 a.m. at Xilang Station, several middle-aged and elderly passengers asked staff about the entrance to Lilang Market — a well-known affordable food market. The new line not only facilitates residents’ commuting and leisure activities, but also expands their options for grocery shopping.
Speed Up: Office Workers Can Sleep Half an Hour Longer; Half the Time Saved for Catching High-Speed Trains
At Xilang Station, Ms. Cui took Line 22 to work for the first time, with her destination accessible via Line 7. “Previously, the route was quite circuitous: Line 1 to Line 2, then to Line 7, which meant I had to leave home at 7:30 a.m. After Line 10 opened on June 10 this year, the route was shortened, allowing me to leave at 7:40 a.m. Starting today, taking Line 22 and transferring to Line 7 only once, I can leave home at 7:55 a.m. to test the new route.” From 7:30 a.m. to nearly 8:00 a.m., the extra half-hour sleep reflects how the metro has accelerated residents’ daily lives.
Ms. Zeng, traveling with her family of four and dragging luggage, took Line 22 at Fangcun Station to Guangzhou South Railway Station, preparing to take a high-speed train to Beihai. Living near Caihongqiao, she didn’t know Line 22 had opened until she arrived at the station and “accidentally” took the new line. “We reserved more than an hour for the metro ride, originally planning to take Line 11 and then transfer to Line 2. Now, it takes less than 20 minutes to get from Fangcun to the South Railway Station via Line 22, which will save us half the time in the future.”
Mr. Zhou, who lives in Clifford Estates, used to have a cumbersome journey home when going to Fangcun Taikoo Li on weekends: taking Line 11 from Dachongkou to Jiangtai Road, transferring to Line 2 to Guangzhou South Railway Station, and then switching to Line 22. Now, with the full operation of Line 22, he only needs to transfer once at Fangcun Station to get directly back to Shiguang Road Station. The travel time has been significantly reduced from nearly an hour to 37 minutes.
It is worth noting that on the first day of operation, some passengers reported that the transfer from Line 22 to Line 1 at Xilang Station is quite long, requiring a detour through the Line 10 concourse. A relevant person in charge of Guangzhou Metro stated that Xilang Station on Line 22 has two transfer corridors. Among them, the transfer corridor to Line 10 was put into operation simultaneously with the station, while the transfer corridor to Line 1 is still under construction. In the initial stage of operation, transfers between Line 22 and Line 1 need to be realized through the Line 10 concourse. In the future, Guangzhou Metro will make every effort to accelerate the construction of the direct transfer corridor between Line 22 and Line 1.
Additional Public Toilets Added in Non-Paid Areas of Nanpuxi Station and Fangcun Station
The service facilities in the stations of the Line 22 extension section follow the standards of newly opened metro lines in recent years. Each station is equipped with public toilets, standard mother-and-baby rooms and unisex toilets, as well as baby care tables and rest seats, providing private spaces for parent-child families and passengers with special needs. Notably, additional public toilets have been installed in the non-paid areas of Nanpuxi Station and Fangcun Station to further enhance passenger convenience.
The intelligent customer service centers at each station are also equipped with low service counters, enabling passengers with special needs to handle business conveniently, truly realizing a barrier-free and humanized travel experience.
To celebrate the opening of the new line, Guangzhou Metro has set up large-scale themed floral landscapes and check-in spots at Fangcun Station and Xilang Station. During the event, passengers can also interact with the mascot Youyou and take photos as souvenirs.
By the Numbers
With the opening of the Line 22 extension section, the total operational mileage of Guangzhou Metro’s network has reached 779.9 kilometers, ranking third in China.
During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, Guangzhou Metro has put into operation projects including Line 10, Line 11, Line 12, Line 18, Line 22, the eastern extension of Line 3, the eastern extension of Line 5, Phase II of Line 7, the western extension of Line 7, Phase II of Line 13 and Phase II of Line 14. The metro’s operational mileage has increased by 248.8 kilometers compared with the end of the “13th Five-Year Plan” period.
