The 140th Canton Fair will be held in Guangzhou from October 15 to November 4. Guangzhou Metro is enhancing capacity, passenger flow management and services to ensure safe and smooth travel for buyers and the public.
Increased capacity
From October 8, Line 11 has been operating a new weekday timetable, adding one train during the morning peak and two during the evening peak. From October 15 until the fair ends, Lines 4 and 8 will use dedicated fair timetables. During the fair, Lines 4, 8 and 11 will add one to ten trains compared with normal operations, shortening headways and boosting capacity.
During peak departure periods, empty trains will be deployed at Pazhou, Xingangdong and Wanshengwei stations to disperse crowds. Backup trains will be on standby across the network to handle sudden surges. Passengers can check real-time conditions via the "Passenger Flow" feature on the Guangzhou Metro app.
Guidance and transfers
Near the fair venue, themed way-finding signage and travel directions will be set up at Xingangdong and Pazhou stations on Line 8, Pazhou Station on Line 11, and the Intercity Pazhou Station, with transfer brochures available. Pazhou Station will feature a large network map, illuminated handheld signs, and pillar-mounted guide signs.
Temporary rain shelters will be added at several exits, with improved LED lighting at Exits E and F. A "meeting point" will be set up outside Exit F. About 200 extra staff will be deployed at key positions during peak departure periods. Passengers transferring between Lines 8 and 11 at Pazhou Station must use dedicated transfer gates and complete the transfer within 30 minutes, at no extra cost, with fares calculated per in-station transfers.
Passenger services
Pazhou Station will offer a comprehensive information desk, a service team providing consultation, travel guidance, translation, ticketing help and emergency aid, plus a rest area. Mobile self-service terminals and bilingual service specialists will also be available.
Across the network, key signage and announcements will be bilingual, and 118 translation devices will be deployed at hub, intercity and venue-area stations. Intelligent service robots offering navigation and multilingual consultation will be introduced at Pazhou and Xingangdong stations.
Themed station and payment
Both Line 11 and intercity Pazhou stations will become Canton Fair's 70th-anniversary-themed stations, with themed content broadcast on 100 lightboxes and nearly 40,000 metro TVs.
Xingangdong Station will add three ticket machines, raising ticketing capacity by 30 percent. Overseas-issued bank cards, including Mastercard, American Express, Visa and JCB cards, can be tapped directly at gates, with enhanced on-site staff guidance.
Author | Jiang Chang
Photos | Nanfang Plus
