The Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station will be a "flexible" railway station capable of increasing in size to accommodate more passengers during travel rushes, according to a scheme that recently became the project's official design. 

Covering a combined construction area of more than 1.1 million square meters, the railway station received over 44 billion yuan ($6.4 billion) in investment. It is the first large hub project to be built as a modern comprehensive transportation hub. The station will handle the general passenger transport of Guangzhou Railway Station and Guangzhou East Railway Station, while taking into account high-speed rail and the flow of passengers between cities throughout the Pearl River Delta.  

A rendering of the Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station complex. [Photo/ycwb.com]

The Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station will be different from single-building stations and will mainly be used for long-distance travel. Passengers will spend a long time at the railway station before boarding their trains, and the number of passengers will increase drastically during the Spring Festival travel rush. Because of this, the station is able to change its size and consists of a number of special areas.

The various different areas can be used for relaxing, shopping, or art displays, and during the travel rush, they can be turned into lounges to host passengers before they enter the station. This allows the station to hold three times as many passengers.

The Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station will triple in size during the travel rush. [Photo/ycwb.com]