Why is the Dongguan subway so slow?

Why is the Dongguan subway so slow? ——Revealing the construction progress and citizens’ concerns

Recently, the construction progress of Dongguan Metro has become a hot topic among citizens. Many netizens complain that Dongguan Metro has few lines and slow construction speed, especially compared with surrounding cities, it seems to lag behind. This article will use structured data and analysis to explore the reasons for the slow construction of Dongguan Metro and its future plans.

1. Current status of Dongguan Metro construction

As of 2024, the only subway line that has been opened in Dongguan is Line 2, with a total length of 37.8 kilometers and 15 stations. Compared with other first-tier cities, Dongguan Metro’s coverage and operating mileage are obviously insufficient. The following is a comparison of Dongguan subway and other city subway data:

As can be seen from the table, the construction speed and scale of Dongguan Metro are far lower than those of cities such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and even lag behind Foshan at the same level.

2. Reasons for the slow construction of Dongguan Metro

1.Limited financial investment: As a prefecture-level city, Dongguan has limited financial resources, and subway construction requires huge funds. However, Dongguan's fiscal revenue is mainly used for industrial development and urban infrastructure construction, and subway construction has a relatively low priority.

2.Decentralized urban planning: Dongguan’s urban structure is dominated by the “town and street economy”. Each town and street is relatively independent and the population is dispersed. This results in complex subway line planning and difficulty in forming an efficient rail transit network.

3.Complex geological conditions: Dongguan is located in the Pearl River Delta, with high groundwater levels and soft soil. Subway construction is difficult, which increases the construction period and cost.

4.Strict approval process: Subway construction needs to be approved by the National Development and Reform Commission. As a non-provincial capital city, Dongguan’s approval process is relatively slow.

3. Future planning of Dongguan Metro

Although the current progress is slow, the future planning of Dongguan Metro is still worth looking forward to. The following is the situation of Dongguan Metro’s lines under construction and planning:

From a planning perspective, Dongguan Metro will be gradually improved in the future, especially the opening of Line 1, which will greatly ease citizens’ travel pressure.

4. Citizens’ voices and suggestions

On social media, many Dongguan citizens expressed dissatisfaction with the slow construction of the subway:

- "I commute every day on the bus, and I've been looking forward to the subway for ten years!"

- "Dongguan is a major manufacturing city, but the subway cannot keep up with the development speed."

- "I hope the government will speed up approval and construction and stop delaying it."

Experts suggest that Dongguan should learn from the experience of Guangzhou and Shenzhen, optimize financial allocation, strengthen rail transit connections with surrounding cities, while improving construction efficiency, and strive to build an efficient subway network as soon as possible.

Summary

The slow construction of Dongguan Metro is the result of a combination of factors, but with the advancement of projects such as Line 1, significant progress will be made in the next few years. It still takes time to verify whether citizens’ expectations can match the government’s plans. It is hoped that Dongguan Metro can speed up as soon as possible to provide citizens with more convenient travel options.