Infrastructure Past, Present, and Future Casebook/Guangzhou South Railway Station

This Casebook contains a set of case studies developed by Jason Reyes, Syed Shah, Zachary Zalewski, and Mario Pineda-Diaz, students enrolled in the Infrastructure Past, Present and Future (CEIE 499: Special Topics in Civil Engineering / GOVT 490: Synthesis Seminar for Policy and Government) course taught at George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government and the Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering by Prof. Jonathan Gifford.

Summary

Guangzhou Railway Station

The Guangzhou South Railway Station, also known as Guangzhou Nan Railway Station, stands as a colossal transportation hub located in the southern part of Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong Province in southern China. Serving as a key gateway to the high-speed rail network connecting major cities, it is a modern marvel of engineering and urban planning, reflecting the rapid development and urbanization of the region. This station not only embodies China's commitment to expanding and modernizing its transportation infrastructure but also plays a pivotal role in facilitating travel, trade, and cultural exchange, both within China and beyond.

The station's design and scale are truly impressive. It features expansive concourses, multiple structures, and a complex network of tracks, allowing it to handle a substantial volume of passengers and trains. What sets it apart is the architectural design that seamlessly merges contemporary aesthetics with traditional Chinese elements, creating a visually striking and culturally rich environment for travelers. Whether you are embarking on a high-speed rail journey to other major Chinese cities, immersing yourself in Guangzhou's vibrant culture, or simply passing through, the Guangzhou South Railway Station stands as a testament to China's commitment to modern transportation infrastructure.

MAP/Location

Rail Connections to Station

High-Speed Rail

Beijing-Guangzhou High-speed Railway

Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-speed Railway

Guiyang-Guangzhou High-speed Railway

Inter-City Rail

Nan-Guang Railway Intercity Railway

Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Railway

Guanghui Intercity Railway (under construction)

Guangzhou Metro

Metro Line 2

Metro Line 7

Metro Line 22

Foshan Metro

Metro Line 2

Station Layout

Floors of Station

3rd Floor - West drop-off area, entrance, security check, waiting hall, business lounge, and restaurants

2nd Floor - Platforms, railway tracks, and east drop-off area

1st Floor -Arrivals, exit, metro exit / entrance, ticket office, bus stop, taxi drop-off and pick-up, restaurants, and parking lot

Base Floor - Metro line 2 and line 7 station

Timeline

• 30 December 2004 – Construction commences
• 30 January 2010 – Partial opening of the station with services north to Wuhan
• 25 September 2010 – Metro station opened
• 7 January 2011 – Services to Zhuhai North and Xinhui commences
• 26 December 2011 – Service to Shenzhen North commences
• 26 December 2012 – Service to Beijing West commences
• 26 December 2014 – Services to Nanning East and Guiyang North commences
• 30 December 2015 – Services to Futian commences
• 23 September 2018 – Service to Hong Kong West Kowloon commences

Technical Data

Length / width / height:  450m / 400 m / 40 m

Total area:   approx. 320,000 m²

Area base-level: approx. 160,000 m²

Area railway-level:  approx. 100,000 m²

Area entrance- and access-level:   approx. 60,000 m²

Roof area:    approx. 200,000 m²

Roof span:   50 - 100 m

Designed to accommodate 200,000 daily

Finance

The total cost of the Guangzhou South Railway Station is ¥13 billion RMB or $1.8 billion USD.

SPBs (Special-Purpose Bonds)

The primary way China finances its infrastructure projects including the Guangzhou South Railway Station is by issuing SPBs (Special-Purpose Bonds). SPBs (Special-Purpose Bonds) are bonds that local governments in China use to fund projects, especially infrastructure. The SPBs can only be used to finance the project that they were issued for. The Chinese State Railway Group Company, which is state owned, was also able to take out loans from state owned banks to finance the project. Land in China is controlled by the government therefore relocating people already living in the area of development is very cheap. The local government is also able to lease out the land around the station to gain more capital to further finance the project. By allowing local governments such as the province of Guangdong to take out bonds they are able to fund projects such as the Guangzhou South Railway Station to address the necessities of their province and region within China.

The Chinese economy is heavily reliant on infrastructure construction therefore there are a lot of incentives for the construction of mega projects like the Guangzhou South Railway Station.

Key Actors

The Guangzhou South Railway Station has many key actors; these entities are state owned companies that have rail lines that run through the Guangzhou South Railway Station and connect Guangzhou to the rest of the Pearl River Delta Metro Area as well as the rest of China.

Government of the People's Republic of China - One party government run by the Chinese Communist Party. The Chinese Communist Party has the Ministry of Railways to oversee rail across the country. Owners of the state owned railway companies.

Chinese State Railway Group Company - The state owned company that is responsible for operating the railways system across the People’s Republic of China.

Guangzhou Metro Group Company - State owned company of mass rapid transit metro system that connects the city of Guangzhou.

Guangdong Intercity Railway Operation Company - State owned company that runs rails services across the Guangdong Province

Foshan Metro Group Company - State owned company that runs mass rapid transit metro system that connects the city of Foshan.

Impact on Surrounding Area

The Guangzhou South Railway Station has allowed for Guangzhou to be one of the biggest transportation hubs in all of China. The Guangzhou South Railway station transformed much of the land around the station and has been developed to cater to passengers and businesses. The Guangzhou South Railway Station Business District has developed around the station which includes the construction of many modern and higher end offices and apartments. There is currently an emergence of schools and medical centers to cater to the influx of the new people around the station. Due to construction of the railway station. This all has attracted a large influx of people with higher education into the areas around the rail station.

Expansion Plans

There is currently construction being done in the Guangzhou South Railway Station. There is an interchange platform being created as an underground tunnel that connects Foshan Metro Line 2 platform and Guangzhou Metro Line 2 & 7. Currently, for passengers traveling between Foshan Metro and Guangzhou Metro , they need to exit the metro station and walk for about 400 meters, which takes over 10 minutes for interchange. Once completed, the interchange time would be shorten to less than 5 minutes. The former construction site will also be repurposed as a parking lot for taxi drivers.

Another expansion plan has also already begun construction. The Guangzhou Railway Station to Guangzhou South Railway Station railway will be linked together by a new train line. Currently, there is no direct railway line connecting Guangzhou Railway Station to Guangzhou South Railway Station; passengers need to switch between the two stations using Guangzhou's subway system, bus or taxi. The construction of the rail link is estimated to take four years, with the anticipated launch of operations by late 2027.

Pros and Cons

Pros

The introduction of the Guangzhou South Rail Station has aided China's strategy of spawning economic development along the Beijing-Guangzhou High-Speed Rail lane (hereafter BGHSR). Since 2012, a few months after the BGHSR line opened, the Polar-Orbiting Partnership (known locally as the Suomi-NPP) has been collecting Night-Time Light images of China using satellites. In a paper published in the Socio-Economic Planning Sciences journal, researchers from Wuhan University analyzed the Night-Time Light photographs using the Sum Light Values (SLV) method. SLV measures the light emitted at night on an image of a region over time . A higher concentration of lights per pixel on an image affirms active urban development in the region.

The researchers from Wuhan University observed a rapid increase of approximately 50% SLV pixels per image in Guangzhou between 2012 and 2014. The researchers observed similar patterns of Night-Time Light growth along the BGHSR line with various Tier 1 cities in China—including Beijing, Wuhan, and Changsha—between 2012 and 2018. This rapid growth trend, however, did not continue in the lower-tier cities. Tier 2 and Tier 3 SLV data remained relatively muted between 2012 and 2018, suggesting that new transportation infrastructure projects (the BGHSR and the South Rail Station) in Guangzhou did not ripple the growth along to the lower tiers.

Cons

Amidst the pros of the new Guangzhou South Rail Station, a potential negative externality of focusing on Tier 1 cities could be that large infrastructure projects in mega cities might leave lower-tier neighboring cities behind in the urban development race across China.

Conclusion

In summary, the Guangzhou South Railway Station is a transportation hub located in China. It showcases not only engineering and urban planning skills but also China's unwavering commitment, to improving its transportation infrastructure. This project successfully combines aesthetics with Chinese elements demonstrating the nation's dedication to progress while honoring its rich cultural heritage. The station's extensive network of rail connections plays a role in facilitating travel, trade, and cultural exchange not only within China but also on an international scale.

The financial strategies employed in the station's construction, such as issuing Special Purpose Bonds (SPBs) and utilizing state-owned loans highlight the government's belief in infrastructure as a catalyst for growth. In addition to its transportation significance, the Guangzhou South Railway Station has spurred the growth of a business district that attracts medical institutions. This development has contributed to raising standards and improving living conditions in the area.

Future expansion plans include building an interchange platform and establishing a railway link between Guangzhou Railway Station and Guangzhou South Railway Station. These initiatives underscore the station's role, in connecting cities and promoting growth. However, it is important to take into account the consequences, for cities nearby that could be overlooked as China focuses on urban development. To sum up, the Guangzhou South Railway Station represents progress. Showcases how infrastructure can drive growth and shape regions. This emphasizes the significance of considerate infrastructure development, in our world.

Discussion Questions

1. How has the station adapted to the needs of travelers, such as providing amenities, services, and accessibility for people with disabilities?
2. What are the challenges and opportunities in maintaining and upgrading Guangzhou South Railway Station to meet the growing demand for rail travel?