Guangzhou's Zengcheng district is accelerating the construction of a highway and rail intermodal transport hub, as part of a plan to make the district the largest and most efficient logistics hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

Guangzhou's Zengcheng district government is accelerating the construction of a highway and rail intermodal transport hub, as part of a plan to make the district the largest and most efficient logistics hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Guangzhou Communications Investment Group, which is building the facility, is also planning to increase the number of international freight trains starting from Zengcheng and turning Zengcheng into a comprehensive express rail service center in the GBA this year.

Liu Zhigang, deputy director of the Zengcheng district branch of the Guangzhou municipal planning and natural resources bureau, said the project's two phases are estimated to cost more than 100 billion yuan (US$ 15.15 billion).

Located in the eastern part of Guangzhou, the entire project will cover an area of more than 958 hectares, Liu said.

Construction on the first phase of the project started in September and mainly includes collection and distribution systems and a platform for the development of the logistics industry and an advanced manufacturing supply chain.

Covering an area of about 555 hectares, the first phase will cost about 45 billion yuan.

The project's second phase, on 403 hectares, will cost around 60 billion yuan. It will focus on the integration of logistics and industry.

Liu said the second phase will involve scientific and technological innovation and an advanced manufacturing supply chain to strengthen advanced manufacturing in the GBA. The project, a major national construction project, is one of four national logistics hub projects in Guangzhou, known as millennium commercial capital.

Zengcheng operated 52 international freight trains with container shipments valued at US$ 185 million in 2021. A total of 300 international freight trains, carrying containers of goods valued at US$ 1.1 billion, left Zengcheng last year.

International rail freight routes have linked Guangzhou to 17 cities in 10 countries in Europe, central Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.