Aerial photo taken on Sept 12, 2020 shows a view of Nanshan District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

The Xili Comprehensive Transportation Hub in the Nanshan district of Shenzhen is set to become one of the largest rail junctions in the Chinese mainland, integrating different train lines, including a major route to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The junction will integrate four high-speed lines, two intercity lines, and four subway lines, according to the latest tender announcement released by the municipal public resource trading platform.

One of the subway lines, Metro Line 13, will link the super hub to Shenzhen Bay checkpoint, a major route to the HKSAR. The line is expected to come into operation by the end of next year

One of the subway lines, Metro Line 13, will link the super hub to Shenzhen Bay checkpoint, a major route to the HKSAR. The line is expected to come into operation by the end of next year.

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Two intercity lines to neighboring cities, Dongguan and Huizhou, will also be incorporated into the hub’s transportation network. The four high-speed rail lines will connect it to Maoming and Shantou in Guangdong, as well as cities in Jiangxi and Guangxi provinces.

Upon completion, the hub is expected to alleviate the overcrowding at Shenzhen North Station and elevate the city's transport hub to a new level. It will also contribute to the improvement of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's rail transit network. According to the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission's website, the project is expected to be completed in 2026.

The hub, integrating transportation, offices, entertainment and leisure facilities, covers a total area of around 660,000 square meters, with a total investment of 17.7 billion yuan ($2.5 billion). The Xili railway station is budgeted at 31.2 billion yuan.

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Shenzhen Metro officials stated earlier that once the Xili Hub is completed, it will become not only the largest rail transit transfer station in the mainland but also one of the busiest hubs in the world, handling more than 1.3 million people a day.