On September 14, the Meizhou-Longchuan High-speed Railway celebrated its first anniversary of operation with a total of 8.8 million passenger trips. It has averaged more than 24,000 passenger trips per day, with a peak of 64 high-speed trains operating in a single day.
Since its opening, the fastest travel time from Meizhou to Guangzhou and Shenzhen has been reduced to 91 minutes and 108 minutes, respectively. It has helped to establish a "two-hour living circle" between northeastern Guangdong and the major cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
One year ago, the Meizhou-Longchuan High-speed Railway became the first 350 km/h high-speed rail line in eastern Guangdong. As an important part of China's national high-speed railway network, the line connects seamlessly with the Ganzhou-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway. Notably, its completion also marked a milestone: China's total railway operating mileage surpassed 160,000 kilometers, with nearly 46,000 kilometers of high-speed rail, continuing to lead the world.
Statistics show that in the first half of 2025, Meizhou recorded the fastest GDP growth rate among all cities in Guangdong Province, with the economic impact of the high-speed rail becoming increasingly evident.
Leveraging the railway, Meizhou, Heyuan, and other cities are actively developing their tourism industries, focusing on intangible cultural heritage and hot springs. Tourism cooperation projects between eastern Guangdong and the GBA rose by 25% year-on-year. In the first half of 2025, Meizhou welcomed 5.72 million visitors and generated tourism revenue of 4.99 billion yuan, up 13.4% and 15.3% year-on-year, respectively.
Reporter | Dai Bosi
Photo | CR Guangzhou Group
Editor | Hu Nan, James Campion, Shen He
