WORK on the Shenzhen-Jiangmen section of the Shenzhen-Maoming High-speed Railway will start before the end of the year, according to a review meeting organized by China Railway Project Design and Appraisal Center held in Guangzhou recently.

The Shenzhen-Jiangmen section, which will go under the Pearl River, will have six stations including Xili Station and Airport North Station. The 115.6-km section will cost 65.2 billion yuan (US$9.88 billion) and is expected to be completed in the middle of 2023.

A rail link connecting Airport North Station and Shenzhen North Railway Station will be built.

Shenzhen-Maoming High-speed Railway is a major rail link in the Pearl River Delta area connecting Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Yangjiang and Maoming. Work on the Jiangmen-Maoming section started in June 2014 and it will be put into operation in 2018.

The Shenzhen-Jiangmen section was delayed due to the complicated geographic condition of the mouth of the Pearl River and huge investment budgets.

The 14.05-km tunnel project crossing the Pearl River is estimated to cost 7.8 billion yuan.

Xili Station will have 11 platforms and 22 lines. It will be the starting station of Shenzhen-Maoming High-speed Railway and the destination station of the Ganzhou-Shenzhen High-speed Railway. Shenzhen-Huizhou intercity rail, as well as Metro lines 13, 15 and 29, will be connected with the station.

(Han Ximin)