Dongguan is one step closer to the Metro Age. According to China Railway No.2 Engineering Group (who are building Dongguan's R2 Railway Line) Dongguan's first intercity railway line presently under construction is scheduled to open for trial operations in 2015.
With designed operation speeds up to 120kph, it will take a mere 16 minutes from Dongguan's Railway Station (in Shilong) to the downtown area. A trip over to Humen will take just 24 minutes. A journey along the entire R2 line will take no more than 40 minutes.
On 16th May 2012, the R2 Line test section, a tunnel joining Tianbao Road Station to Dongcheng Road Station, was completed. This has become the first double line tunnel of the R2 Line to be completed. According to Mr. Li, an engineer from China Railway No.2 Engineering Group, the construction of four entrances and exits for the Dongcheng Road Station will begin this year in August and finish in June next year.
Another railway engineer, Mr. Hu, confirmed that Dongguan's R2 Line will use the same trains as those on Line 4 of Shenzhen's underground. Each carriage is 2.8 metres wide, 3.8 metres high and 20 metres long. "A cost of over 700 million RMB will be invested in the first stage to install 20 trains totalling 120 carriages along the R2 line," said Hu.
More about the R2 Line
Of the four lines planned for Dongguan Rail, it is the R2 Line (running from the north to the southwest) where construction has begun first. With a forecast investment of 18 billion RMB, it will run through 8 of Dongguan's townships namely; Shilong, Chashan, Dongcheng, Guancheng, Nancheng, Houjie, Humen and Chang'an. The line will also feature links to Shenzhen's intercity rail transit system.
The first stage of the R2 Line from the Dongguan Railway Station to Humen Railway Station will be 37.74 km long, 89% of which will be underground. There will be 15 stations in the first stage of the R2. With the exception of the Humen Railway Station, 14 stations will be underground and are already under construction. The Humen Railway Station, a major junction linking the R2 line with the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail and Guangzhou-Dongguan-Shenzhen Intercity Rail is still proceeding with the land requisition and demolition phases.
According to R2 Line documentation, the "Dongguan Railway Station" to "Dongguan Humen Station" will be opened for non-passenger trial operation by December 2014. By 31st March 2015, it will be open for passenger trial operations.
The R2 Line will link towns in Western Dongguan, thereby promoting the connection of the entire downtown area with Houjie, Humen and Chang’an. It will also support Dongguan's regional cooperation efforts with other cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Huizhou via joining with the rail transit junctions in the Pearl River Delta.
Edited and tranlsated by Stefanie Tan
Revised by native speaker Sev Pischl
- Dongguan Today
