The Guangzhou Rail Transit Week 2026 opened on Nov 8, bringing together global industry players as the southern Chinese metropolis pushes toward a 320-billion-yuan rail transit industry output this year.

Running through Nov 13, the week features a "3+3+N" program comprising the China International Metro Transit Exhibition, closed-door meetings of metro operators, an industry ecosystem conference, and a dedicated job fair for rail transit talents.

The event is organized by Guangzhou Metro Group in collaboration with the China Association of Metros and the Community of Metros, with support from major state-owned enterprises including China Railway Group and CRRC Corporation.

Guangzhou has designated 2026 as its "Year of Investment Attraction," and the rail transit week serves as a key platform to open up application opportunities worth hundreds of billions of yuan for global partners.

China’s urban rail transit network exceeds 13,000km in operation

China now operates the world's largest urban rail transit network. By the end of 2025, 58 cities in the Chinese mainland had 382 lines totaling 13,067.89 km in operation, according to the China Association of Metros.

Guangzhou, a national central city and core engine of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, opened its first metro line in 1997. To date, Guangzhou Metro has put over 1,300 km of metro and intercity railway lines into operation, with more than 300 km under construction. By the end of this year, sections of Line 12 and Line 13 Phase II are set to open, pushing the city's metro network beyond 800 km.

Guangzhou’s rail transit industry targets 320 bln output in 2026

In 2025, Guangzhou's rail transit industry generated over 300 billion yuan in output, with more than 900 enterprises across the supply chain, placing it among the national leaders in both scale and growth. The target for 2026 stands at 320 billion yuan.

Guangzhou Metro, as the anchor enterprise of the industry chain, has been opening up application scenarios in operations, construction and maintenance to drive industrial growth since establishing the Guangzhou Rail Transit Industry Alliance in 2017.

The industry ecosystem conference on Nov 10 will promote two-way market cooperation through both inward investment and overseas expansion, encouraging enterprises in core equipment, smart operations, embodied intelligence and other sectors to establish a presence in Guangzhou.

A special job fair will also be held at the Canton Fair Complex, bringing together over 200 companies offering nearly 5,000 positions.

Liu Zhicheng, Party Secretary and Chairman of Guangzhou Metro Group, said the company is committed to opening up application scenarios and fostering cooperation with global partners in technological innovation, talent development and business expansion.

"The goal is to contribute to economic and social development in Guangzhou, the Greater Bay Area and China as a whole through the strength of rail transit," he said.

Public activities including science outreach and cultural and creative product markets will run throughout the week at the Canton Fair Complex.

Reported by Yin Juewen

Source: Guangzhou Metro