At 11:30 AM on September 14th, three Fuxing high-speed trains—G8491 (Meizhou West to Guangzhou East), G8494 (Guangzhou East to Meizhou West), and G8496 (Shenzhen North to Meizhou West)—departed simultaneously from Meizhou, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. This marks the official opening of the highly anticipated rail line linking Meizhou with Longchuan between Longchuan and Longyan, known as the Meizhou-Longchuan High-speed Railway. This new line provides an additional major rail corridor connecting the eastern part of Guangdong with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

With the launch of the Meizhou-Longchuan High-speed Railway, China's total rail network has now surpassed 160,000 kilometers.

Dual-circular high-speed rail lines to serve ten cities

The Meizhou-Longchuan High-speed Railway is the first high-speed rail project in Guangdong Province to be fully financed, constructed, and approved independently, with a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour. Spanning 98 kilometers, the line passes through Meizhou and Heyuan, featuring four stations: Meizhou West, Xingning South, Wuhua, and Longchuan West. The new line will cut travel times between Meizhou and cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen by more than half.

Following the launch, the railway authority plans to operate two circular high-speed rail lines, covering ten cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Heyuan, Meizhou, Jieyang, Chaozhou, Shantou, and Shanwei. These lines will significantly shorten the travel time between the eastern part of Guangdong and the GBA, catering to the increasing travel demands of residents along the line. Passengers can take advantage of flexible travel options, making "dual-city living" a reality by reaching their destinations from various directions in the shortest time. The dual-circular high-speed rail lines will also enhance the advantage of Guangdong's railway network, supporting the high-quality development of the Pearl River Delta region.

According to statistics, by the end of August 2024, more than 20 million people had secured employment near over 80 high-speed railway stations in Guangdong. As the areas surrounding stations along the Meizhou-Longchuan line witness development and emerging new industries, large numbers of rural residents are expected to migrate to urban centers. This will generate significant demand for housing, employment, and daily living, further driving urbanization.

The launch of the Meizhou-Longchuan High-speed Railway has also boosted tourism of scenic spots and cities along the route, with traditional rushed group tours being replaced by independent and in-depth travel. Authorities project a 30% increase in visitors to key attractions like Ye JianYing's Former Residence, Hakka Park, Mount Huo, and Tuocheng this year.

Explore vibrant Guangdong by high-speed rail

Guangdong was one of the first provinces in China to achieve high-speed rail connectivity across all cities in the province. The high-speed network links the province's 21 cities, creating routes for geographic exploration, culinary tourism, cultural heritage, and economic growth.

Looking ahead, the GBA will build the world's densest rail network, centered on high-speed rail. By 2025, the region's operating and under-construction rail network will reach 4,700 kilometers, fully covering central cities, node cities, and urban clusters such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen. By 2035, the network will extend to 5,700 kilometers, connecting all county-level cities in the GBA.

Guangdong's rapid rail development and expansion is a snapshot of the development of China's 160,000-kilometer railway network.

梅龙高铁正式通车，中国铁路营业里程突破16万公里

9月14日11时30分，G8491次（梅州西至广州东）、G8494次（广州东至梅州西）、G8496次（深圳北至梅州西）三趟复兴号动车组，分别从梅州、广州和深圳三地同时发车，这标志着社会各界期盼已久的龙川至龙岩高铁梅龙段（以下简称“梅龙高铁”）正式开通运营，粤东地区增添了一条往返粤港澳大湾区的高铁大通道。

随着梅龙高铁开通运营，我国铁路营业里程突破16万公里。

开行双环线高铁列车辐射十城

梅龙高铁是广东省首条全额投资建设、自主审批的时速350公里高铁项目。正线全长98公里，途经梅州市、河源市，全线设梅州西、兴宁南、五华、龙川西四个车站。梅龙高铁建成开通后，梅州到广州、深圳等地通行时间将缩至一半以上。

梅龙高铁通车后，铁路部门计划开行两条高铁环线列车。双环线高铁列车辐射广州、深圳、东莞、惠州、河源、梅州、揭阳、潮州、汕头、汕尾等10座城市，将大大缩短粤东与大湾区时空距离，进一步满足沿线群众的出行需求。旅客可以按需“分段乘坐”，从不同方向在最短的时间内抵达目的地，让“双城生活”照进现实。同时，双环线高铁列车的开行将进一步发挥出广东高铁路网优势，助力珠三角一体化高质量发展。

据测算，至2024年8月底，广东地区80多个高铁站周边，已吸纳2000万人就近就业。由此可预见，随着梅龙沿线高铁站周边土地开发和产业兴起，大量农村人口纷纷涌入新城区，他们的居住、生活、就业等创造出的巨大经济需求，为进一步推动城镇化进程提供了新的机遇。

梅龙高铁的开通运营，使沿线景区和城市持续掀起了“旅游热”，过去匆匆忙忙的“跟团游”将被自助游和深度游替代。有关部门预计，今年梅龙高铁沿线叶帅故居、客天下景区、霍山、佗城等著名景点游客人数将增长3成以上。

坐着高铁看朝气蓬勃的广东

广东是最早“市市通高铁”的省份之一。高铁线串起了全省21个地市的地理分界线、美食美景线、历史人文线和经济发展线。

未来一段时间，粤港澳大湾区将建设以高铁为主干线的全球最密集铁路交通网。近期到2025年，大湾区铁路网络运营及在建里程达4700公里，全面覆盖大湾区中心城市、节点城市和广州、深圳等重点都市圈。远期到2035年，大湾区铁路网络运营及在建里程达5700公里，覆盖全部县级城市。

广东铁路建设的快速推进和营业里程的迅速延伸，是16万公里中国铁路网发展变迁的一个重要缩影。

文丨记者 严锦程 危健峰 丘锐妮通讯员 曾勇 方杰
图丨记者 曾育文
翻译丨邹晓华
英文审校丨赵凡