(Guangzhou Metro News) The Opening Ceremony of Guangzhou Rail Transit Week 2026 will be held in Guangzhou on November 8, marking the official launch of the Week. Running through November 13, the Week features the 2026 China International Metro Transit Exhibition (MetroTrans 2026), the Leader Round-Table of Metro Operators (closed-door), COMET 2026 Guangzhou Meeting of the Community of Metros (closed-door), the Conference of 2026 Guangzhou Rail Transit Industry Ecosystem, the Special Job Fair for Rail Transit Talents, and other events, forming a “3+3+N” programme.
The year 2026 marks the start of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period and has also been designated the “Year of Investment Attraction” by the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and the Guangzhou Municipal Government. With a focus on opening up application scenarios to attract investment and bringing projects to fruition for mutual benefit, Guangzhou Rail Transit Week 2026 offers global industry partners access to rail transit application opportunities on a scale of hundreds of billions of yuan. Guangzhou’s rail transit industry is targeting an output of RMB 320 billion this year.
Guangzhou Rail Transit Week 2026 is organized by Guangzhou Metro Group (Guangzhou Metro), in collaboration with the China Association of Metros and the Community of Metros (COMET), with specially invited support from China Railway Group, China Railway Construction Corporation, CRRC Corporation, China Communications Construction Company, China State Construction Engineering Corporation, Power Construction Corporation of China, and China Railway Signal & Communication Corporation.
China’s Urban Rail Transit Network Exceeds 13,000 Kilometres in Operation
Since its first metro line opened in 1969, China has built the world’s largest urban rail transit network in operation, providing strong support for economic and social development. According to the China Association of Metros, as of the end of 2025, 58 cities in the Chinese mainland had 382 urban rail transit lines in operation, with a total operating length of 13,067.89 kilometres.
Guangzhou, a national central city, a comprehensive gateway city and a core engine of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, opened its first metro line on June 28, 1997. To date, Guangzhou Metro has brought more than 1,300 kilometres of metro and intercity railway lines into operation, while advancing the construction of over 300 kilometres of new lines. By the end of this year, the western section of Line 13 Phase II and the middle section of Line 12 are also scheduled to open, taking Guangzhou’s metro network beyond 800 kilometres in operation and further strengthening the foundations of the Greater Bay Area connected by rail.
Guangzhou’s Rail Transit Industry Targets RMB 320 Billion in Output This Year
With 2026 designated as Guangzhou’s “Year of Investment Attraction”, a year-round, citywide, all-hands investment drive is in full swing. Hosting Guangzhou Rail Transit Week 2026 is an important step in implementing this initiative in the rail transit sector. The Week provides a platform that brings together global industry resources and promotes domestic and international cooperation, opens up rail transit application opportunities on a scale of hundreds of billions of yuan, and offers comprehensive support throughout the project lifecycle. It aims to help more smart technologies and products made in Guangzhou reach markets across China and around the world. Guangzhou is rapidly developing an investment attraction framework led by anchor enterprises, with participation from state-owned enterprises, follow-on investment from private enterprises, and supporting policies.
In 2017, Guangzhou Metro established the Guangzhou Rail Transit Industry Alliance under the guidance of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and the Guangzhou Municipal Government. As an anchor enterprise in the industry chain, Guangzhou Metro offers extensive application scenarios in operations, construction and maintenance, and remains committed to using infrastructure development to drive industrial growth. In 2025, Guangzhou’s rail transit industry generated more than RMB 300 billion in output and comprised over 900 enterprises across the industry chain, ranking among the national leaders in both output and growth. In 2026, the industry is targeting an output value of RMB 320 billion.
Liu Zhicheng, Party Secretary and Chairman of Guangzhou Metro Group, said that green development, smart technologies, integration and innovation have become long-pursued goals of the urban rail transit industry, guiding the coordinated development of rail transit and cities. Guided by openness, cooperation and mutual benefit, Guangzhou Metro is opening up application scenarios and bringing projects to fruition to share opportunities and achieve mutual growth with global industry partners. Through broader and deeper cooperation in technological innovation, talent development and business expansion,it aims to contribute to economic and social development in Guangzhou, the Greater Bay Area and China as a whole through the strength of rail transit.
A “3+3+N” Programme Bringing Together Professionals, Industry, Talent and the Public
Guangzhou Rail Transit Week 2026 combines professional achievements, industry matchmaking, talent networking and public participation. Its three core industry events—the 2026 China International Metro Transit Exhibition (MetroTrans 2026), the Leader Round-Table of Metro Operators (closed-door), and the COMET 2026 Guangzhou Meeting (closed-door)—will bring together senior executives from more than 50 urban rail transit enterprises across China and industry representatives from over 30 countries. With more than 400 exhibitors, the events are expected to attract over 40,000 professional visitors.
The Week places a strong emphasis on investment promotion and project implementation. The 2026 Guangzhou Rail Transit Industry Ecosystem Conference, to be held on November 10, will foster two-way market cooperation through both inward investment and overseas expansion. Targeted efforts will encourage enterprises in core equipment, smart operations and maintenance, embodied intelligence, additive manufacturing, construction and capital operations to establish a presence in Guangzhou, filling gaps in and extending the industry chain. Strategic cooperation agreements will also be signed with overseas partners. On the same day, the Special Job Fair for Rail Transit Talents will be held at the Canton Fair Complex, bringing together over 200 leading companies online and on-site,offering nearly 5,000 job openings.
During the Week, members of the public can explore the achievements of rail transit development at Area D of the Canton Fair Complex through science outreach activities, urban rail transit educational experiences, and a market featuring rail transit-themed cultural and creative products.
