Transportation Deployment Casebook/2024/Guangzhou Metro

1 Introduction edit

Guangzhou City, commonly known as Guangzhou, abbreviated as Guang, Sui, and Yangcheng, is the provincial capital and sub-provincial city of Guangdong Province, the People's Republic of China, and one of the first batch of coastal open cities.[1] Guangzhou Metro is the urban rail transit system of Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. [2] The operation scope of Guangzhou Metro covers Guangzhou City and Foshan City. [3] As of January 2024, Guangzhou Metro has 16 operation lines and 8 under construction. [4] Currently, 653km of Guangzhou’s local subway network is under construction, with a length of approximately 171.5km.

2 Quantitative Analysis edit

2.1 Date sources edit

To analyze the development history of the Guangzhou subway and the role of the subway in the urban development process of Guangzhou, the average annual number of subway passengers in Guangzhou from 1997 to 2023, the subway mileage from 1997 to 2023 and the permanent population of Guangzhou from 1997 to 2023 were selected Growth data. The following Table 1 is the population of Guangzhou, Table 2 is the mileage of the subway in Guangzhou, and Table 3 is the annual number of passengers on the Guangzhou subway.

Table 1 Guangzhou population,1997 to 2022(in millions)[5]

Year population Year population
1997 6.6293 2010 12.7096
1998 6.7047 2011 13.4632
1999 6.8076 2012 14.1553
2000 9.948 2013 14.7224
2001 9.9675 2014 15.2902
2002 9.8476 2015 15.9495
2003 9.7293 2016 16.7838
2004 9.6606 2017 17.4627
2005 9.4968 2018 17.9044
2006 9.9666 2019 18.3059
2007 10.5301 2020 18.6766
2008 11.1534 2021 18.8106
2009 11.8697 2022 18.7341

Table 2 Guangzhou Metro mileage ,1997 to 2023(in kms)[6]

Year Metro mileage Year Metro mileage
1997 5.4 2011 236
1998 5.4 2012 236
1999 18.5 2013 260
2000 18.5 2014 266
2001 18.5 2015 266
2002 24.7 2016 308.7
2003 36.8 2017 390.6
2004 36.8 2018 478
2005 54.7 2019 515
2006 108.2 2020 515
2007 113.2 2021 607.6
2008 118.2 2022 643.1
2009 147 2023 652.81
2010 236

Table 3 Guangzhou Annual Transit Ridership ,1997 to 2023(in millions)[7][8][9][10]

Year Annual Riders Year Annual Riders
1997 7.2 2011 1644.982
1998 36.5 2012 1853.2145
1999 33.5 2013 2053.9645
2000 64.423 2014 2277.892
2001 63.656 2015 2406.9195
2002 66.101 2016 2561.3145
2003 122.165 2017 2802.543
2004 163.994 2018 3025.9595
2005 213.525 2019 3305.878
2006 280.685 2020 2405.934
2007 473.003 2021 2834.0425
2008 599.001 2022 2358
2009 674.9945 2023 3130
2010 1177.782

Afterthat use the data to estimate a three-parameter logistic function:

S(t) = K/[1+exp(-b(t-to))]

Where:

S(t)is the priedicted data

K is the carrying capacity of the system (in our case, the maximum number of rides&the maxmum number of population )

T is time(years)

T0 is the year in which 1/2 K is achieved

The S(t) formula can be formed to:

LN( Ridership/(K - Ridership))=bt+c or LN( Metro mileage/(K - Metro mileage))=bt+c

The K value in the above formula is a measure of saturation. Since the Guangzhou Metro has not reached saturation, the least squares method is used to find the value of K. The following two tables show the K value of Guangzhou Annual Transit Ridership and the K value of Guangzhou population respectively.

Table 4 Determine the value of K(Annual Ridership)

K 3500 3400 3600 37000 3800 3666 3680 3670 3660 3665
INTERCEPT ( c ) --583.72166564 --606.3184288 --567.69558728 --555.0497784 --544.58058609 --559.0622599 --557.37804564 --558.57630201 --559.79851955 --559.1843555
b 0.28987325366 0.30116262591 0.28186199007 0.27553739287 0.27029905322 0.27754448936 0.27670206035 0.27730142302 0.27791274321 0.27760555842
RSQ 0.92003091063 0.91123563499 0.92218888595 0.92239324789 0.92181910192 0.92244572058 0.92243600635 0.92244479139 0.92244418256 0.92244571207
t_i=c/-b 2013.713436 2013.2592049 2014.0906091 2014.4263275 2014.7336056 2014.3158352 2014.3617468 2014.329014 2014.2959732 2014.3125328

Table 5 Determine the value of K(Population)

K 20 21 27 28 29 27.5
INTERCEPT ( c ) --275.59589499 --239.56009623 --164.50808655 --158.95070584 --154.17391707 --161.61987879
b 0.13753191429 0.11949833073 0.081819023562 0.079016546914 0.076605257987 0.08036291408
RSQ 0.92956246625 0.94624101691 0.96110828442 0.96113060962 0.96102356906 0.96113943623
t_i=c/-b 0.072570021411 0.087660676093 0.16412567045 0.17615524167 0.18809926186 0.17015233649

2.2 Analysis edit

The life cycle phases are shown in Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3. It can be seen from Figure 1 that the current passenger travel volume of Guangzhou Metro is close to the mature stage. The first half of the existing data is in good agreement with the S-curve. However, there was a significant decline in passenger travel between 2019 and 2020. This is due to the impact of covid-19. During this period, a series of policies limited the number of subway trips and the development of Guangzhou's subway.


 
Figure 1 S-curve of the Guangzhou Metro Ridership

Figure 2 shows the distance of Guangzhou subway operation mileage. There are two stages in the figure where the mileage increased rapidly. One is around 2010, when Guangzhou hosted the Asian Games, so policies were supportive at this time. The second is between 2016 and 2019. During this stage, the annual average mileage of Guangzhou Metro The number of trips is also increasing dramatically. Basically, the average annual number of trips is positively correlated with the total operating mileage of the subway.

At the same time, there is always a plateau period 1 to 2 years before and after each rapid increase in mileage. This is a characteristic of the subway mode of transportation. A subway requires a certain amount of time to plan and construct, as well as a lot of investment. This is also the reason why subways are not suitable for small and medium-sized cities.

 
Figure 2 The improve of Guangzhou Metro mileage

Figure 3 shows the population growth curve of Guangzhou. The first half is basically consistent with the S-curve, but in the second half the population growth may be slowly slowed down by factors such as social, economic, cultural, and city size. Therefore, the second half of the curve may not conform to the change pattern of S-curve.

 
Figure 3 The population & predicted population
Regression Results edit

Table 6 Regression Results for Ridership

Regression Statistics
K 3666
INTERCEPT --559.0622599
R Square 0.92244572058
b 0.27754448936
tought 2014.3158352

Table 7 Regression Results for Population

Regression Statistics
K 27.5
INTERCEPT --161.61987879
R Square 0.96113943623
b 0.08036291408
tought 2011.1251644

3 Qualitative Analysis edit

3.1 Mode description edit

In 1863, the first subway opened in London, England. [11]Before the advent of the subway, the main way people traveled was by horse-drawn carriage. Compared with carriages, buses and other travel modes, the advantages of the subway are: 1. The subway has a large transportation capacity compared to other modes of transportation. 2. The subway has a high punctuality rate. 3. Traveling by the subway takes less time. 4. The space required by the subway is mainly Underground space reduces the use of above ground space.

As the urban population continues to increase, subways have increasingly become a major indicator of whether a city can become an international metropolis. The sensational effect generated by the subway, the increase in popularity along the line, and the adsorption effect on people's livelihood facilities such as residential buildings, commercial outlets, star-rated hotels, cultural, educational and health facilities, urban complexes, etc. are difficult to match by any public transportation means. [12]

While it has the above advantages, the subway also has many shortcomings: large investment, long construction period, and high operation and maintenance costs. The biggest flaw is the large loss area and high amount of losses. Especially in some cities with a small total passenger flow or characterized by tidal passenger flow, the subway will not only fail to create the economic benefits it deserves, but will also make local debts tighter. [13]

3.1.1 Broad service coverage area edit

Guangzhou Metro is currently one of the most extensive and attractive subway systems in the world. Guangzhou Metro is currently the third largest urban rail transit system in mainland China and the third largest urban rail transit system in the world. [14] As of December 28, 2023, Guangzhou Metro currently has 271 operating stations covering 12 administrative districts in Guangzhou and Chancheng District, Nanhai District, and Shunde District in Foshan City. The following is the specific information of each line of Guangzhou Metro.

Line Terminals Commencement Newest Length Stations Depots/
(District) Extension km Stabling Sidings
1 Xilang Guangzhou East Railway Station 1997 1999 18.5 16 Xilang
(Liwan) (Tianhe)
2 Guangzhou South Railway Station Jiahewanggang 2002 2010 31.8 24 Jiahe/Dazhou
(Panyu) (Baiyun)
3 Panyu Square Airport North (Terminal 2) (Huadu) 2005 2018 68.5 30 Jiahe/Xiajiao
(Panyu) Tianhe Coach Terminal (Tianhe)
4 Nansha Passenger Port Huangcun 2005 2017 60 23 Xinzao
(Nansha) (Tianhe)
5 Jiaokou Huangpu New Port 2009 2023 41.7 30 Yuzhu/Shuanggang
(Liwan) (Huangpu)
6 Xunfenggang Xiangxue 2013 2016 41.7 31 Xunfenggang/Luogang
(Baiyun) (Huangpu)
7 Meidi Dadao Yanshan 2016 2023 54.24 27 Dazhou/Yifeng/Jitang
(Shunde, Foshan) (Huangpu)
8 Jiaoxin Wanshengwei 2003 2020 33.9 28 Baiyunhu
(Baiyun) (Haizhu)
9 Fei'eling Gaozeng 2017 20.1 11 Qishan
(Huadu) (Baiyun)
13 Yuzhu Xinsha 2017 28.3 11 Yuzhu/Guanhu
(Huangpu) (Zengcheng)
14 Jiahewanggang (Baiyun) Dongfeng (Conghua) 2017 2018 75.4 22 Shihu/Zhenlong/Dengcun
Xinhe (Baiyun) Zhenlong (Huangpu)
18 Xiancun Wanqingsha 2021 58.3 8 Longzhen/Wanqingsha
(Tianhe) (Nansha)
21 Yuancun Zengcheng Square 2018 2019 61.5 21 Zhenlong/Xiangling
(Tianhe) (Zengcheng)
22 Chentougang Panyu Square 2022 18.2 4 Longzhen/Chentougang
(Panyu) (Panyu)
APM Canton Tower Linhexi 2010 4 9 Chigang Pagoda
(Haizhu) (Tianhe)
Guangfo Xincheng Dong Lijiao 2010 2018 39.6 25 Xianan
(Shunde, Foshan) (Haizhu)

3.1.2 Comfortable ride experience edit

In order to give passengers a better riding experience, Guangzhou Metro has added many humanized measures.

1. Female carriages: Guangzhou Metro will pilot female carriages on Line 1 starting from June 28, 2017. During the period of 07:30 to 09:30 and 17:00 to 19:00 on weekdays (excluding holidays), the last carriage of Guangzhou Metro Line 1 towards Guangzhou East Station and the first carriage towards Xilong Set as women's compartment. [15]

2. Mother and baby room: At the end of 2016, Guangdong Metro built the first mother and baby room on a pilot basis at Guangdong South Station. Starting from 2017, maternal and child rooms will be set up at newly opened line stations. Since 2018, Guangzhou Metro has also overcome difficulties such as limited station space, insufficient water, electricity, ventilation, and passenger flow lines on existing lines, and added independent maternal and child rooms at stations that meet the conditions for renovation on existing lines.

As of May 2022, a total of 145 maternal and infant rooms have been built on the Guangzhou Metro line network, serving more than 1,000 maternal and infant passengers on average every day, including Guangzhou South Railway Station, Nansha Passenger Transport Port Station, Huadu Square Station, Airport North Station, and Conghua Passenger Transport Station A total of 6 stations including Zengcheng Square Station and Zengcheng Square Station were awarded Guangzhou Maternity and Infant Room Demonstration Sites. [16]

3.1.3 Diverse ticketing methods edit

Guangzhou Metro supports a variety of ticket purchasing methods, including one-way tickets, day tickets, bus codes, credit cards, Apple pay, and facial recognition. There are a total of 8 ticket purchasing methods. Among them, the facial recognition entry function used in the east extension of Guangzhou Metro Line 5 and the second phase of Line 7 in December 2023 will also be a new direction for the future development of ticketing in various subway systems. [17]

3.2 Technology edit

3.2.1 Evolution mechanism and prevention and control mechanism of major risks in urban rail transit operations edit

Guangzhou Metro has achieved technological breakthroughs in five aspects [18]: First, it has overcome the panoramic scanning monitoring and early warning technology for fires in high-speed trains running in long distances, and achieved accurate monitoring and early warning of fires in running trains; second, it has broken through the vehicle-ground collaborative detection of objects beyond visual range intrusion limits. and risk analysis technology to achieve vehicle-ground coordinated over-the-horizon dynamic and accurate identification; the third is to overcome intelligent flood prediction and early warning and dynamic prevention and control decision-making technology to achieve rapid spatial-temporal early warning and prevention of the full flow path in sudden flooding tunnels; the fourth is to break through Induced network passenger flow risk prevention and control technology for passengers-train-line network-information collaboration realizes the reconstruction of network passenger flow induction paths; fifthly, establishes "scenario-response" digital emergency response auxiliary decision-making technology to support joint prevention of major operational risks Joint control.

3.2.2 signal system edit

In terms of signaling system, Guangzhou Metro Lines 1, 2, and 8 adopt the Siemens FTGS train operation control system, and other lines adopt the CBTC train operation control system. Among them, the CBTC train operation control system used by Guangzhou Metro Line 7 is fully Chinese. The development and application of the MTC-I type CBTC train operation control system with independent intellectual property rights has broken the monopoly of foreign manufacturers on China's urban rail transit signaling systems for more than ten years. [19]

3.3 The role of policy in birthing phase edit

3.3.1 The role of policies in overall development edit

In the early stages of Guangzhou's subway construction, it received support from many policies. In 1984, the Guangzhou Metro Preparatory Office drew on the experience of the Hong Kong Metro and proposed for the first time in the country the idea of "focusing on transportation, taking into account civil defense" and building subway lines on major transportation corridors, and received approval from relevant departments. [20] This change in design thinking has brought Guangzhou subway construction into the fast lane. Subsequently, Guangzhou began to compile subway network planning and engineering plans. Through policy support, the initial planning of the Guangzhou Metro is to develop along the line based on the TOD model. This played a guiding role in development in the early stage.

The policy guidance of the "Recent Line Network Planning and Implementation Adjustment Plan in 2000" issued in 1997 proposed to give priority to the construction of Lines 3 and 4 that have been modified to go deep into the south to support urban development. [21]On December 29, 2002, the first section of Line 2 was opened for trial operation. Since then, the "Ten" track network of Guangzhou Metro has been initially formed. At present, the construction of the basic framework of Guangzhou Metro in all directions has been initially completed. [22]On this basis, due to the overall urban expansion of Guangzhou and the bid to host the 2010 Asian Games, the development of Guangzhou Metro has entered its peak period.

In August 2005, the National Development and Reform Commission officially approved the "Guangzhou Urban Rapid Rail Transit Recent Construction Plan" and agreed to build multiple lines between 2005 and 2010 with a total length of 127.6 kilometers. [23]

In February 2009, the National Development and Reform Commission approved the "Guangzhou City Recent Construction Plan Adjustment" (2005-2012), agreeing to make appropriate adjustments to the construction tasks and goals of the July 2005 "Guangzhou City Rapid Rail Transit Recent Construction Plan". [24]

In July 2012, the National Development and Reform Commission approved Guangzhou’s recent urban rail transit construction plan (2012-2018). Only the northern extension of Line 8 and Line 11 are urban lines, and the rest are suburban radial lines. [25]

In order to meet the development needs of Guangfo City, in 2015, the National Development and Reform Commission approved the construction of the first phase adjustment section of Line 7. This line connects the two cities of Guangzhou and Foshan, further deepening the connection between the two cities. [26]

On July 30, 2020, the "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Intercity Railway Construction Plan" was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission. At this point, policy development will be more inclined to support the lines linking Guangzhou City and the Greater Bay Area, including the southern extension of the original Line 18 (Nansha to Zhongshan (Zhuhai) intercity, 79km), the northern extension of Line 18 (from Guangzhou east to Huadu-Tiangui intercity, 38km), the northern extension of Line 22 (intercity from Fangcun to Baiyun Airport, 39km) and the original Line 28 (intercity from Foshan via Guangzhou to Dongguan, 107km). [27]

3.3.2 Changes in charging policy edit

According to Guangzhou’s public transportation fare discount adjustment plan, starting from September 1, 2023, the preferential policies for Guangzhou subways and buses will change. The following are the new preferential plans[28]:

Ordinary passengers who spend more than 80 yuan but less than 200 yuan on the Guangzhou subway and buses in a calendar month will enjoy a 20% discount.

If it exceeds 200 yuan, you will enjoy a 50% discount.

This means more discounts for multiple rides, not only for the subway, but also for buses and water buses.

3.4 Market development edit

Due to the nature of subway operations, Guangzhou Metro does not have any commercial competitors. Therefore, the development of the market is mainly related to the growth of population. The larger the population base in Guangzhou, the higher the proportion of people choosing to travel by subway, and the broader the Guangzhou subway market will be. Through the S-curve, we can see that the current resident population in Guangzhou is still in the rising stage, so the market development of Guangzhou Metro will also be more advantageous in the future.

4 Reference edit

  1. "Introduction to Guangdong Province – Traveling in China". 知乎专栏 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  2. "Guangzhou Metro". www.zhihu.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  3. "The west extension section of Guangzhou Metro Line 7 will be officially opened at 14:00 on May 1__Xinkuai.com". www.xkb.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  4. "The east extension of Line 5 and the second phase of Line 7 will be opened at 12 noon on December 28 - Guangzhou Municipal People's Government Portal". www.gz.gov.cn. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  5. "Guangzhou's Seventh National Census Bulletin[1] (No. 6) - Urban and rural population and floating population - Guangzhou Municipal People's Government Portal". www.gz.gov.cn. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  6. 又消耗我6枚硬币. "【广州地铁】1997-2023年线路发展动态展示(真实比例)_哔哩哔哩_bilibili". www.bilibili.com (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  7. "Ministry of Transport: Urban rail transit passenger volume will drop 18.2% year-on-year in 2022". Bing. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  8. "With 11.569 million passengers, Guangzhou Metro set a new single-day passenger flow record". Bing. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  9. "2016 Annual Report. Guangzhou Metro". Bing. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  10. "[Yesterday's review] On January 12, the total passenger flow of the line network was 9.968 million. Guangzhou Metro". Bing. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  11. "London Underground | History, Routes & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  12. "Analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of urban subways and buses". 知乎专栏 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  13. "Analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of urban subways and buses". 知乎专栏 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  14. "Guangzhou has been approved for ten more sections of subway lines, with the mileage to be opened in 2023 to be approximately 2.5 times the current number - Guangzhou Municipal People's Government Portal". www.gz.gov.cn. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  15. "Guangzhou Metro Line 1 will pilot female carriages starting today_NetEase News". news.163.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  16. "Guangzhou Daily Digital Report-145 maternal and child rooms in Guangzhou Metro serve thousands of people on average every day". gzdaily.dayoo.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  17. "The east extension of Line 5 and the second phase of Line 7 will be opened at 12 noon on December 28 - Guangzhou Municipal People's Government Portal". www.gz.gov.cn. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  18. "To study the prevention and control of major risks in urban rail operations, a national key research and development plan project led by Guangzhou Metro was launched_Technology". www.sohu.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  19. "Guangzhou Metro". www.zhihu.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  20. "Review of the history of Guangzhou Metro". news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  21. "New century, new opportunities, new planning - how was Guangzhou Metro Line 3 born? _Tencent News". new.qq.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  22. "Past Events: Guangzhou Underground Tenglong realizes its subway dream in 39 years_News Center_Sina.com". news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  23. "Start and foundation laying—Review of the first phase of Guangzhou Metro planning (2005-2010)_Tencent News". new.qq.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  24. "Three subway lines in Guangzhou are allowed to be built ahead of schedule, and one is added in Luogang, Panyu and Huadu". news.ifeng.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  25. "[Guangzhou's recent urban rail transit construction plan approved]-National Development and Reform Commission". www.ndrc.gov.cn. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  26. 羊城派 (2022-04-30). "deal! The west extension section of Guangzhou Metro Line 7 will be officially opened at 14:00 on May 1". news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  27. "[Reply on the third phase of Guangzhou's urban rail transit construction plan (2017-2023) (Development and Reform Foundation [2017] No. 498)] - National Development and Reform Commission". www.ndrc.gov.cn. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  28. "Guangzhou bus and subway discounts will be adjusted from September: 20% off for purchases over 80 yuan and 50% off for purchases over 200 yuan - Guangzhou Municipal People's Government Portal". www.gz.gov.cn. Retrieved 2024-03-03.