Zhanjiang Mayor Jiang Jianjun talks about his proposals to the 13th National People's Congress during an interview with Xinhua News Agency. [Photo by Zhang Fengfeng/Zhanjiang Daily]

Zhanjiang Mayor Jiang Jianjun has proposed to boost the construction of a high-speed railway that connects the urban clusters of Beibu Gulf and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, according to Zhanjiang Daily.

The Guangzhou-Zhanjiang Passenger-Dedicated Line, after completion, will become a vital transportation means for residents in the area, said Jiang at the 13th National People's Congress on March 17.

The Greater Bay Area is a world-class urban cluster comprised of nine Guangdong cities, Hong Kong and Macao. Covering 43,300 square kilometers, the area is home to 65.2 million residents, while the Beibu Gulf rim is a national-level city aggregation consisting of 11 cities from Guangdong and Hainan provinces, and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The rail line, which is designed to connect the Greater Bay Area in the east and Beibu Gulf in the west, is blessed with geographical advantages. Given its strategic position and potential functions, it is suggested that the nation should  integrate the railway into the specialized transport and development plans of the Greater Bay Area, said Jiang.

This will further enhance the Greater Bay Area's external influence on neighboring areas and tap into its development potential. Meanwhile, advanced industries and enterprises are expected to siphon down from developed regions and to the cities of the Beibu Gulf.

Costing 75.7 billion yuan ($12 billion), the 421-kilometer rail line will start from Guangzhou's Tangxi Railway Station, then run through the cities of Foshan, Yunfu, Yangjiang and Maoming to terminate at the soon-to-be completed Zhanjiang West (High-speed) Railway Station.

Currently, preparatory work for the railway project is well underway, and the compilation of a feasibility research report will be finished before the end of March. It is estimated that construction will commence in August and be completed by 2020.

Once put into use, trains running on the high-speed rail line will slash travel times between Guangzhou and Zhanjiang to less than two hours at a target speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

Construction on the Zhanjiang West (High-speed) Railway Station is progressing well and is expected to be completed in May. [Photo by Zhuo Chaoxing/Zhanjiang Daily]