en.Wedoany.com Reported - On April 2nd, China released the pre-review announcement for the "Sea Area Use Feasibility Study Report for the Hezhou to Hengqin Section of the Guangzhou to Zhuhai (Macao) Railway". The project has entered the preliminary work stage for feasibility study and preliminary design approval, with construction planned to commence within the year.
Project Construction Background
The Hezhou to Hengqin Section of China's Guangzhou to Zhuhai (Macao) Railway (hereinafter referred to as "this project") is a key component of the Beijing-Harbin to Beijing-Guangzhou-Macao High-Speed Rail main corridor. It has been included in multiple national and regional key plans such as the "Medium and Long-Term Railway Network Plan", the "14th Five-Year Plan for Railway Development", and the "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Infrastructure Interconnectivity Plan". It is a key transportation infrastructure project scheduled for implementation in the near term.
The development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a major national strategy requiring enhanced infrastructure interconnectivity. This project connects key nodes such as Zhuhai's Hezhou and Hengqin, linking with the Guangzhou hub, Shenzhen hub, and regions like western Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, and Chongqing. It interfaces with high-speed rail lines such as the Zhuhai-Zhaoqing HSR and the Shenzhen-Zhuhai HSR. This will form a high-speed rail link integrating Macao with the mainland, helping to establish rapid connections between the Zhuhai-Macao area and the national high-speed rail network. It supports the Greater Bay Area's spatial development pattern of "pole-driven, axis-supported" growth, assists Macao in integrating into the national development framework, and is of significant importance for expanding Macao's economic hinterland and maintaining its long-term prosperity and stability.
The Guangzhou-Zhuhai-Macao section currently utilizes the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Railway, which has a design speed of only 200 km/h. Currently, it only operates 4 pairs of through trains to the Beijing-Guangzhou HSR, and its capacity is nearly saturated. Forecasts for the near and long-term project study periods estimate northbound passenger flow from the Zhuhai-Macao development pole at approximately 6.36 million and 7.46 million people respectively, requiring 32 and 38 pairs of passenger trains. The Guangzhou-Zhuhai-Macao corridor also has substantial intercity passenger demand. The Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Railway and others cannot meet the medium-to-long-distance travel needs of the Zhuhai-Macao development pole or the intercity passenger demand within the Guangzhou-Zhuhai-Macao corridor.
In July 2020, the China State Railway Group issued the "Outline for Railway Pioneering in Building a Modern Transport Power in the New Era". In February 2021, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the "Outline for the National Comprehensive Three-Dimensional Transport Network Plan". Both identify completing the high-speed rail main corridors as a primary task. Therefore, it is necessary to expedite the construction of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai (Macao) High-Speed Rail to connect the Beijing-Guangzhou HSR to Macao.
As a key component of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai (Macao) HSR, this project, before the full line is completed, can form a western route from Guangzhou to Zhuhai to Macao via Foshan and Jiangmen in conjunction with the Zhuhai-Zhaoqing HSR's Zhuhai Hezhou to Gaoming section and the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang HSR. This will strengthen the comprehensive transportation system of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai-Macao corridor.
Upon completion of the entire Guangzhou-Zhuhai (Macao) HSR line, it will form the main corridor passing through Guangzhou Airport, Panyu, Nansha, and Zhongshan, further enhancing the high-speed corridor function and connectivity coverage of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai-Macao main axis.
Project Overview
The line of this project starts from the Zhuzhao yard of Zhuhai Hezhou Station, crosses over the Jie River and Zhuhai Avenue before going underground. It passes under the Jiangzhu Expressway with pile foundation underpinning, then under the Hezhou Waterway and Hegang Expressway before turning east. It traverses the Modaomen Waterway, enters the Hengqin Cooperation Zone, passes through the Hengqin National Wetland Conservation Area, avoids the basement of the Hengqin Water Purification Plant, runs east along the north side of Qinhai West Road to avoid the piers of the Guang'ao Expressway, passes under Huandao West Road, runs along the north side of Hong Kong-Macao Avenue, and finally enters Hengqin Station.
The newly built line is approximately 15.6 km long, including a 2.5 km double-track major bridge, about 0.2 km of embankment, and the Heqin Tunnel with a total length of about 12.1 km (including cut-and-cover and shield tunnel sections). The total length within station areas is about 0.8 km. The railway is classified as a high-speed rail line.
Based on feasibility study forecasts, the maximum number of train pairs operating on this line in the near and long-term planning years are 130 pairs/day and 142 pairs/day respectively. Considering the project's functional positioning, passenger flow characteristics, and relevant technical standards, the feasibility study unit, after comparative analysis, determined the main technical standards for this project as follows (corresponding to 250 km/h high-speed rail standards):
The planned construction period for this project is 5 years. Calculations indicate that the breakthrough period for the controlling shield tunneling section of the Heqin Tunnel is approximately 48 months.
China Railway Fourth Survey and Design Institute Group Co., Ltd. completed the "Feasibility Study Report (Revised Review Draft) for the Hezhou to Hengqin Section of the Guangzhou to Zhuhai (Macao) Railway" in November 2025.
The entire line includes 2 stations: Zhuhai Hezhou Station (access only) and Hengqin Station. Zhuhai Hezhou Station connects to the Zhuhai-Zhaoqing HSR and the Shenzhen-Zhuhai Intercity Railway (Guangzhou-Zhuhai-Macao HSR), primarily handling most originating/terminating trains for the Zhuzhao, Guangzhou-Zhuhai (Macao) HSR, and Shenzhen-Zhuhai Intercity lines. Hengqin Station connects to the Shenzhen-Zhuhai Intercity Railway (Guangzhou-Zhuhai-Macao HSR), handling some originating/terminating and stopping through passenger trains for the Guangzhou-Zhuhai (Macao) HSR, Zhuhai-Zhaoqing HSR, and Shenzhen-Zhuhai Intercity lines.
Overview of Sea Area Use
To meet construction requirements, the project plans to construct Work Shaft No. 2 within the scope of the undersea shield tunnel construction. After construction, to avoid impact on the main tunnel structure, only the temporary steel sheet pile structures of Work Shaft No. 2 extending above the seabed will be dismantled and the shaft sealed. The main structure below the seabed surface is planned to be retained as a permanent part of the tunnel.
Approximately 7.04 km of the shield tunnel for this project will pass under sea areas including the Hezhou Waterway, Hezhou South Reclamation Area, and Modaomen Waterway. Work Shaft No. 2 is also located within the sea area of the Hezhou South Reclamation Area, involving sea area use.
The main project applies for a sea area use term of 50 years, while the construction phase applies for a term of 8 years.
According to the "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Sea Area Use", exclusive sea area use activities lasting more than three months in China's internal waters or territorial seas require a sea area use feasibility study for the project.
The study concludes that the project's construction is suitable for the region's natural and social conditions. The proposed sea area use complies with territorial spatial planning and relevant regulations. The method, duration, and area of sea use are reasonable and can be coordinated with surrounding development projects. The project's adverse impacts are acceptable. Therefore, the project can effectively utilize the natural and social advantages of the sea area. In summary, the sea area use for this project is feasible.
Additionally, according to the "Public Participation Announcement for Social Stability Risk Analysis of the Hezhou to Hengqin Section of the Guangzhou to Zhuhai (Macao) Railway Project" released on March 31st:
The Hezhou to Hengqin Section of the Guangzhou to Zhuhai (Macao) Railway is located in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, and the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone, in the southern part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The project starts at Zhuhai Hezhou Station and ends at the newly established Hengqin Station within the Cooperation Zone, with a total line length of 15.619 km, serving passenger travel for Macao and the Cooperation Zone.
This project connects to the Zhuhai-Zhaoqing High-Speed Rail at Zhuhai Hezhou Station, linking with regions such as Guangxi, western Guangdong, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Chongqing. It connects to the Shenzhen-Zhuhai Intercity Railway to link with the Shenzhen hub, providing access to eastern Guangdong, the West Coast of the Taiwan Strait, East China, and other regions.
This project interfaces with multiple high-speed rail lines including Guangzhou-Zhuhai (Macao), Zhuhai-Zhaoqing, and Shenzhen-Zhuhai, and connects to the national high-speed rail network through connecting lines. This will accelerate the integration of the Zhuhai-Macao area into the national high-speed rail network, forming a high-speed rail link for deep and convenient integration and exchange between Macao, the Hengqin Cooperation Zone, and the mainland.
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