This undated photo shows a station of a Shenzhen metro line. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Shenzhen will start construction work on its Phase V metro project at the end of this month as the city ramps up efforts to improve its transportation network and enhance intercity connectivity within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The project involves 11 lines spanning 185.6 kilometers, with 195.2 billion yuan ($27 billion) in total investments. The new metro lines are expected to come into operation by 2028.

The eastern extension of Line 10 and the northern extension of Line 11, meanwhile, will link Shenzhen with neighboring Dongguan City, strengthening regional connectivity

Four of the lines -- 17, 22, 25 and 27 – will be built to strengthen the rail network in the central business districts of Futian, Luohu and Longhua districts; while Lines 15, 20 and 29 will serve western Bao’an District and the Qianhai economic zone.

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Metro services in Shenzhen’s eastern Pingshan and Dapeng New Area will also be greatly enhanced with Lines 19 and 32.

The eastern extension of Line 10 and the northern extension of Line 11, meanwhile, will link Shenzhen with neighboring Dongguan City, strengthening regional connectivity.

Besides improving Shenzhen’s transportation network, the latest metro projects will promote the flow of innovative elements, support the growth of key areas and provide a foundation for the city’s economic restructuring and industrial transformation and upgrade, according to a local media report, citing an official of the Development and Reform Commission of Shenzhen Municipality.

Line 15 will facilitate the development of the Xili high-speed railway transport hub and X-Lake Sciensity, while Line 25 will serve the Dalang garment base in Longhua District and the Shiyan advanced manufacturing industrial park in Bao’an District.

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When the new lines come into service, Shenzhen’s metro services will cover 85 percent of the city’s key areas and 80 percent of its advanced manufacturing industrial parks, the official said.

At present, Shenzhen has 16 metro lines in operation, covering 547 kilometers. On completion of the Phase V project, the city’s rail mileage will reach 831 kilometers -- ranking fifth nationwide in terms of length.

With more intercity railways and metro lines being built, the Greater Bay Area is expected to see more efficient flow of resources, which will promote integrated development of cities in the region and help build a world-class city cluster, said Yu Lingqu, vice-director of the Department of Financial Development and State-owned Assets and State-owned Enterprise Research at Shenzhen-based think tank, the China Development Institute.

Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com