Work has progressed on a key section of the intercity railway line connecting Guangzhou and Zhongshan in Guangdong province. A tunnel-boring machine has begun excavating the right tunnel between Qijiangdao Station and Zhongshan Station on the Zhongshan section of the Nansha-Zhuhai (Zhongshan) Intercity Railway.

The start of tunneling marks a significant step following the resumption of construction after the Chinese New Year holiday. The 2.38-kilometer section runs through the core area of Zhongshan's Qijiang New Town, linking major transport nodes. Project officials describe it as a critical and technically challenging part of the overall line.

The western section of the Nansha-Zhuhai (Zhongshan) Intercity Railway spans 47.6 kilometres. It starts at Wanqingsha Station in Guangzhou's Nansha District and ends at Xingzhong Station in Zhongshan. The line is designed for a maximum speed of 160 km/h.

Once operational, the intercity railway is planned to integrate with Guangzhou Metro Line 18. This integration is expected to reduce travel time between Guangzhou's Zhujiang New Town and Zhongshan's Qijiang New Town to approximately 45 minutes, improving transport links between the two cities.

The project's design also allows for potential future extensions towards Zhuhai and Shenzhen.