The second high-speed rail line between Shenzhen and Guangzhou will be built next year to link the two cities’ airports, according to a report at Live Shenzhen, the official WeChat account of the Information Office of the Shenzhen Municipal Government on July 24.

Upon the line’s completion and operation in 2029, the trip between the two cities’ airports will be cut to 20 minutes, the report said, citing information from the Guangdong Public Resources Transaction Platform.

It will have five stations along the route from Guangzhou North Station to Shenzhen Airport Station. Travelers can reach either airport within 20 minutes from the central area of Dongguan.

The high-speed railway is expected to further promote the integration of Guangzhou and Shenzhen metropolis circles. According to the plan, the high-speed railway will be further extended southward to link with Hong Kong. It will also be linked with Shenzhen North Railway Station.

Currently, it takes about 1 hour and 46 minutes from Shenzhen North Railway Station to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, comprising a 29-minute high-speed train ride from Shenzhen North Railway Station to Guangzhou South Railway Station, followed by a 77-minute Metro ride from Guangzhou South Railway Station to Baiyun airport.

According to earlier media reports, the second high-speed rail line will employ maglev trains that are capable of reaching speeds of 600 kilometers per hour.

There are now three railways serving the Shenzhen-Guangzhou route, namely Guangzhou-Shenzhen Railway, Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link and Guangzhou-Dongguan-Shenzhen Intercity Rail.

It takes the trains on Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link 29 minutes to travel between Shenzhen North Railway Station and Guangzhou South Station, with an additional 38 minutes by Metro to downtown Guangzhou.

The second high-speed rail project has been incorporated into the 14th Five-Year Development Program for the Guangdong Comprehensive Transport System, according to the Guangdong Provincial Transport Department.

Earlier in November 2019, the Shenzhen Municipal Development and Reform Commission released a bidding notice to initiate research on maglev-related matters, including maglev technology assessments, the role of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen line, passenger flow projections, route designs, investment estimates and operational costs.