Eight Ministries Joint Release: The Next Five Years Will Accelerate the Construction of the Metropolitan Circle's Integrated Transport System, Marking a New Chapter in Infrastructure Development!

Publish Date: 2026-06-12 2Views

Introduction

On May 26, eight ministries—the Ministry of Transport, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the China Railway Group Limited, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the State Post Bureau, and China State Railway Group—jointly issued the 'Implementation Plan for the Comprehensive Improvement of Metropolitan Circle Inter-city Transport Efficiency (2026–2030)', which will be officially released to the public on June 8. This guiding document outlines a clear roadmap for building an integrated inter-city transport system across metropolitan circles over the next five years, from enhancing cross-city mobility to achieving unified transport services, aiming at a full-scale upgrade in transport efficiency and accelerating infrastructure development.

Key Focus AreasHigh-speed rail network expansion, seamless multimodal transfers, synchronized urban transport integration, intelligent travel protectionFour core directions define quantified goals and targeted actions—directly addressing real-world challenges in cross-city commuting while driving industry-wide transformation and propelling metropolitan circles into a new phase of development.

Where will this massive investment be focused? The plan highlights key areas:

First, build a comprehensive inter-city rail network for metropolitan circles.

1. Build the Beijing Metropolitan Circlecorridorrail network.

Strengthenthe main residential and employment zones within the Beijing Metropolitan Circle with large-capacity, high-speed connectivity between them..

Scientificallycoordinate multi-level, multi-mode transportation systems., enhanceintermodal integration across different rail modes and fill gaps in high-speed rail spine connections with short links., creating a transport model centered on rail networks and built on high-speed rail infrastructure.

2. Build the Metropolitan Circlebasicrail network.

Strengthen connectivity between major residential and employment zones in the metropolitan circle with medium-capacity, high-speed links.Optimize expressways, national highways, and urban rapid transit networks.Enhance connections between suburban roads and urban streets., promote coordinated development of urban rail transit..

Feature 1: Typical Metropolitan Circle Corridors

1.Beijing-Jingjinji Region

BuildJingyan to Chaoyang (Beijing),Jingyan to Gu'anyin (Beijing),Gaoxian to Chaoyang (Beijing),Tianjin to Jixi (Beijing)and other key corridors.

2. Yangtze River Delta Region

BuildWuyu to Linping (Hangzhou),Zhejiang to Nanchang (Nanjing)and other key corridors.

3. Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

BuildDongxin to Shenzhen Bao'an,Dongxin to Shenzhen Longgang,Dongxin to Guangzhou Huangpu,Shanwei to Guangzhou Baiyun,Qingyuan to Guangzhou Baiyunand other key corridors.

4. Chengdu-Chongqing Metropolitan Circle

BuildChengdu to Chongqing Jinyun,Yishan to Chongqing Xianliu,Dezhou to Chongqing Qingbaijiang,Chongqing Jiangbei to Chongqing Jiulongpo,Chongqing Yongchuan to Chongqing Lijia,Sichuan Guang'an to Chongqing Beixianand other key corridors.

Second, develop a dense metro corridor network.

Through market-oriented approaches, usingrailway reinforcement, branch line upgrades, station renovationsand other measures, launch inter-city and intra-metropolitan rail services.

New inter-city railway linesshould be designed to meet demand for passenger transport, business, and tourism.

Progressively advance the conversion of logistics functions from trunk railways serving central urban districts where conditions allow.

Rationally develop inter-city railway and urban rail transit capacity to support seamless integration.Connect central urban areas with nearby clusters and surrounding cities (towns) through coordinated planning.Inter-city rail and inter-city railway projects.

Based on passenger flow demands,promote feasibletrunk rail, inter-city rail, and inter-city railway integration with urban road networks., enabling multiple-line, multi-stop transfers and improving accessibility.

Rationally expandurban rail transit stations, districts, signage, and communication infrastructure upgrades., optimize train operation patterns, explore flexible deployment of large/small routes, high-frequency scheduling, express trains, and direct service to boost travel speed.

Feature 2: Metropolitan Circle Rail Transit

1. Upgrade inter-city railway lines

PromoteBeijing Metro Line 1 (Capital Airport Branch)East North Ring,South Beijing Metro Line 10 (to Qimen Line, including extensions to Chuyu),Chengdu-Chongqing Inter-City Rail (Chengdu to Wuxi Line)and other key projects..

2. Upgrade inter-city rail networks

Promote construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Metropolitan CircleBeijing to Hangzhou New DistrictInternational,Shenzhen to Dalian Internationaland other projects.

Promote Guangzhou Metropolitan CircleGuangzhou East to Huadu Tianma International,Shenzhen to Dalian International Airport Terminal to Qianhai Bay,Fuzhou to Xiamen Metropolitan CircleMetropolitan CircleFuzhou to Xiamen to Fuzhou to Quanzhou to Xiamen Inter-City Rail R1 Lineand other key projects.Major Projects Construction.

3. Enhance public transit operational capabilities

Promote Chengdu-Chongqing Metropolitan CircleChengdu-Chongqing Inter-City Rail (Phase II of Public Transit Operation Upgrade),Chongqing-Chengdu Rail (Chongqing Station to Jiangbei Section Upgrade),Zhangjiakou-Chongqing Inter-City Rail (Zhangjiakou to Zhangjiakou West Operation Upgrade)and other key projects.Major Projects Construction.

Third, accelerate the quality upgrade of road networks.

Focus on completionwith the metropolitan circle ring, regional loops, central urban loop, and external radiation lines as primary frameworks.Metropolitan Circle Corridor Road Network,accelerate construction of pending sections and promote existing facilities’ quality upgrades..

For high-speed expressway bottleneck sections, adoptdigital renovation, node optimization, and section expansion measures, enhancing throughput and operational efficiency.

Progressively advance the upgrading of general provincial and national highway corridors to support main transport functions.Upgrade or reconstruct general provincial and national highways to meet increasing traffic demands..

Encourage research on high-speed expressway integration in major metropolitan development zones.Drive coordinated upgrades of regional road networks to meet urban and rural transportation needs., reasonably align road and urban street junctions, formats, standards, and construction timelines.

Strengthen cross-regional project coordination.Avoid severed routes and bottleneck roads..

Based on local transport demand characteristics, tailor solutions.Renovate high-speed expressways with interchanges, add access points near urban centers., construct service areas in qualified zones.Complete connection line construction..

Feature 3: Metropolitan Circle Expressway Networks

1. Key projects for national expressway corridor extensions

Promote the Beijing Metropolitan CircleG95 Beijing Ring Expressway (from Jingyan to Jingshan Section),G9906 Wuhan-Chongqing Metropolitan Ring Expressway (Jiangfu to Hailizi Lake Section),G9904Nanjing Metropolitan Ring Expressway (Provincial Road 338 to Caomao High-Speed Section)Section,G9908 Xi’an Metropolitan Ring Expressway (Zhou to Zhizhong Section)and other key projects.

2. Provincial and national highway extension projects

Promote Fujian Metropolitan CircleNational Highway G639 (Lianjiang to Xiangshan to Ma'ei Section),Ningbo Metropolitan CircleG527 (Hainan to Longtan Bridge and Extension Project, Ningbo Section)

and other key projects.

3. National expressway expansion and smart upgradesPromote the Beijing Metropolitan CircleBeijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway (Northern Beijing Section Expansion and Smart Upgrade),Jinan-Nanjing Metropolitan CircleG2001 Jinan Ring Expressway (Jinan to Hulai Section Expansion),Wuhan-Chongqing Metropolitan CircleG4201 Wuhan Ring Expressway (Zhongzhou to Zhiyue Section Expansion)and other key projects.

4. General highway renovation and enhancement

Promote the Chengdu-Chongqing Metropolitan CircleG108 (Baisha to Liaoning Section Renovation),Nanjing Metropolitan CircleG205 (Ma'ei to Jiaxing Section Renovation),G329Xiaojie Section Project

and other key projects.

5. New construction and renovation of expressway entry/exit pointsPromote50 projectsfor dual-direction interchange and service area upgrades on expressways.

Fourth, accelerate seamless rail-to-road integration.

Promote transfer hubs at nearby clusters and surrounding cities (towns), encouraging rail stations, bus terminals, and passenger ticketing systems to transition toward integrated transport hubs.Encourage intercity rail, rail transit, and TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) implementation.TOD integrated development, encourage feedback mechanisms to support sustainable operation and public transit development.

Encourage rational placement of intercity rail, airports, and other integrated intercity rail and urban road networks to enhance passenger flow aggregation capacity.

Promote dedicated intercity rail corridors, elevated pedestrian bridges, and related facility upgrades to improve connectivity between intercity rail and main commuter zones..

Complete integration of intercity rail, public transit hubs, outbound train platforms, operational bus stops, park-and-ride (P+R) facilities, and bicycle parking points.

Encourage expansion and modernization of intercity rail passenger services, including route optimization and updated signage., launching fast entry/exit passages and improved access to intercity rail stations.

Feature 4: Metropolitan Circle Rail and Passenger Flow Integration

1. Major intercity rail station renovations

PromoteBeijing West Station renovation,Tianjin West Station station building upgrade,Tianjin South Station station building upgrade,Shenzhen West Station intercity rail,Guangzhou East Station renovation and municipal integration project,Beijing North Station integrated intercity rail,Chengdu Station integrated transit hub project,Dezhou Station integrated transit hub renovation project,Qingbaijiang Railway Station (North Passenger Station) integrated transit hub upgradeand other key projects.Major Projects Construction.

2. Passenger flow aggregation road construction

PromoteBeijing North Station Intercity Rail Economic Zone North Station Rapid Transit Project,Wuhan Fire Train Station Aggregation Road Project,Xi’an North Passenger Station Regional Aggregation Road Projectand other key projects.Major Projects Construction.

Fifth, strengthen intelligent travel enhancements.

Feature 5: Intelligent Transportation for Metropolitan Circles

1. Digital upgrades of urban road infrastructure

Guangzhou Airport Expressway (San Yuan Li to Pingsha Section) Digital Upgrade Project.

2. Intelligent upgrades of intercity rail services

Beijing North Station Smart Inter-City Rail ProjectProject.

3. Construction of an integrated intelligent traffic management platform

WithBeijing, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, Chengdu, Xi’an, and Shenyang as key nodes, build an integrated intelligent traffic management platform to enable cross-modal, multi-tier, and cross-region network intelligence control, coordinated scheduling, and joint emergency response.Promote

integration of intelligent traffic management platforms with key intelligent connected vehicles and vessels to achieve cloud-based information exchange and coordinated services.Source: Ministry of Transport

来源丨交通部

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Eight Ministries Joint Release: The Next Five Years Will Accelerate the Construction of the Metropolitan Circle's Integrated Transport System, Marking a New Chapter in Infrastructure Development!

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