A new rail connection opened on Monday, significantly shortening travel time between Guangzhou’s Pazhou (琶洲) area and Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, with the ride on express trains taking about 60 minutes.

The Dongguan West Link Line connects the Guangzhou–Huizhou intercity railway with the Guangzhou–Shenzhen line, according to Guangdong Intercity Railway.

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The new link allows trains to run directly between the two lines without requiring passengers to transfer at Dongguan West Station — a change officials described as “straightening out a triangular route.”

With the opening of the link, Guangdong Intercity Railway has added two new express services: Pazhou–Shenzhen Airport and Zhaoqing–Shenzhen Airport. As a result, residents of Guangzhou, Foshan, and Zhaoqing can now take intercity trains directly to Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport.

According to data from the Guangzhou Metro app, the fastest travel time from Pazhou to Shenzhen Airport before the link opened was 1 hour and 27 minutes, while the reverse direction took 1 hour and 18 minutes. After the link opened, the shortest journey time between Pazhou and Shenzhen Airport has been reduced to about an hour.

According to the train ticket booking platform 12306, the ride from Pazhou Station to Shenzhen Airport Station costs 54 yuan.

The fare from Zhaoqing Station to Shenzhen Airport Station is 115 yuan, with the fastest travel time of about 139 minutes.

Scan and go

Passengers can use a registered Yangchengtong card, Lingnan Pass, or the national transportation card, or scan a QR code via the Guangzhou Metro app, to board directly without buying tickets in advance.

This “scan and go” system is now available on six Guangdong Intercity Railway lines: Guangqing, Guangzhou East Ring, Guangzhao, Guanghui, Palian, and Suishen.

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The Dongguan West Link Line is the first step in a broader plan to expand rail links. The Zhuliao–Xintang South section of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen intercity railway is also expected to open soon, which will eventually allow direct travel between Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport.