Dongguan’s new railway station began operation today after an official opening ceremony yesterday attended by the mayor Yuan Chengbao, Chinanews reports. The station, located on Lingnan East Road in Shilong Town, will have 86 journeys a day to both Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
The station was designed by a team led by He Jingtang of South China University of Technology Institute of Architectural Design, whose works include the wrestling and badminton venues built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the “Crown of China” for the 2010 Shanghai Expo. The dragon boat is central to the theme of the station’s design.
Of the trains that go towards Guangzhou from the new station, the first of each day is the D7012 which arrives at the station at 7:03 a.m. and leaves at 7:05. The last of the day, the D7064, arrives at 23:23 and leaves at 23:25. Of the trains that go to Shenzhen, the first of the day is the D7001, which arrives at 6:42 and leaves at 6:44. The last of the day is the D7053 which arrives at 23:07 and leaves at 23:09.
During the forthcoming “Chunyun” Spring Festival rush, the station will also offer services to Wuchang, Nanchang and Fuyang.
The average daily passenger volume is expected to be 30,000 people a day and around 10 million people a year.
The old station in Shilong closed on January 7, according to the Guangzhou Railway (Group) Corporation.