Guangzhou North Railway Station: Airport, Metro & Trains (2026)

Overview of Guangzhou North Railway Station (Huadu)

Guangzhou North is a different station from Guangzhou Railway Station, Guangzhou East and Guangzhou South. Guangzhou South handles most of the city's high-speed services; Guangzhou North serves the north of the city and Huadu. Under the January 2026 timetable, 141 trains a day call here: 41 conventional, 78 high-speed and 22 Guangzhou–Shenzhen intercity trains. The station's daily passenger record is 56,400, set on 1 May 2026.

The station has a long history. It opened in February 1908 as Xinjie Station on the Canton–Hankow (Yue–Han) Railway, was renamed Huadu Station in 1995 and became Guangzhou North in 1999. The current seven-storey building, of roughly 23,000 m², dates from 1996. In 2009 it was the temporary terminus of the Wuhan–Guangzhou high-speed line, until Guangzhou South opened in 2010.

Two stations share the site, and this matters when you buy tickets. Guangzhou North (广州北, 12306 code GBQ) handles national-rail trains. Huadu intercity station (城际花都站, code HAA), opened in November 2020, handles the East Ring and Guangqing intercity trains. They are separate ticketing stations, joined by a passage that opened in January 2021 and also links to Metro Line 9. On 12306 or a booking app, the intercity trains to the airport and Pazhou are listed under Huadu, not Guangzhou North, so book each leg for the right station.

Getting to Baiyun Airport from Guangzhou North

Baiyun Airport Terminal 1 has been closed for renovation since 7 May 2026, so the Airport South stations on Metro Line 3 and the East Ring are skipped. Use Airport North station for Terminal 2 and Airport East station for Terminal 3. For terminal details, see the Baiyun Airport guide.

East Ring intercity

The Guangzhou East Ring intercity leaves from Huadu station, on Guangzhou North's West Square. Going south, its stations run Huadu, Airport North, Airport South (currently skipped), Airport East, Zhuliao and on to Pazhou and Panyu. The Huadu–Airport North section opened on 30 November 2020, and the line was extended to Panyu on 29 September 2025.

• To Terminal 2 (Airport North station): about 21 minutes on all-stop trains, ¥10 published fare. The first train, C4885, leaves Huadu at 06:10 and reaches Airport North at 06:31.
• To Terminal 3 (Airport East station): about 29–30 minutes on all-stop C trains or 21–22 minutes on S express trains, ¥13 published fare. First train 06:10, last 22:33.

The fares above are published prices. From 22 June 2026, East Ring fares paid through the intercity pay-as-you-go system are 75% of the published fare Monday to Thursday and 90% at other times. Airport East station is on level B2 of the T3 transport centre.

The Suishen intercity opened in full on 31 July 2026. If you are continuing from the airport towards Shenzhen on the intercity network, the change is at Zhuliao, not at Huadu.

Metro Line 9 and the free T3 shuttle bus

The metro alternative to Terminal 3 is Line 9 from Guangzhou North Railway Station, eight stops to Gaozeng. Leave by exit B and take the free shuttle bus to T3. The bus has been free since 6 June 2026, takes about 15 minutes and runs every 5 minutes at peak times and every 10 minutes off-peak. Buses run from Gaozeng to T3 between 06:15 and 23:15, and from T3 back to Gaozeng between 06:35 and 22:40.

This route needs a change from metro to bus. The East Ring intercity is the direct rail option to both terminals.

Metro Line 9: Getting to Central Guangzhou

Guangzhou North Railway Station has been a stop on Metro Line 9 since 28 December 2017. Exit C links straight to the West Square waiting area and Huadu intercity station, which makes the metro the easiest way to arrive for an intercity train.

For Tianhe and Zhujiang New Town, ride Line 9 eight stops to Gaozeng and change to Line 3 towards Tiyu Xilu. The trip covers about 43 km of track. No official journey time or fare is published for this route, so check the fare in the metro app or at a ticket machine before you travel. Our Guangzhou metro guide explains tickets and transfers across the network.

Line 9 and Line 3 do not run through, so you have to change trains at Gaozeng. Through-running between the two lines was only at the feasibility-study stage as of November 2025.

Lines that are not open yet

Two projects are often mentioned for Guangzhou North but are not running. Metro Line 24 / the Line 8 north extension from Jiaoxin to Guangzhou North is under construction, with about 24% of its civil works complete as of November 2025. The Guangzhou–Huadu intercity (the Line 18 north extension to Ma'anshan Park) has no announced opening date. Until they open, Line 9 is the station's only metro line.

Intercity Trains to Pazhou, Guangzhou Baiyun and Qingyuan

Besides the airport, the intercity trains from Huadu station reach several useful places. Book them for Huadu (HAA) and enter through the West Square, where the intercity ticket checks are.

• Pazhou (Canton Fair and the Haizhu CBD): East Ring, 52–55 minutes on S express trains or about 1 h 16 min on all-stop trains, ¥30 published fare.
• Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station: Guangqing intercity, 15 minutes on S express trains or 23–25 minutes all-stop, ¥13. First train 06:43, last 21:33.
• Qingyuan city (Qingcheng): Guangqing intercity, 15 minutes on S express trains or 32–40 minutes all-stop.

The Guangqing south extension between Guangzhou Baiyun station and Huadu opened on 28 January 2026. It is 22 km long with four stations, and its trains run through Huadu onto the East Ring. It gives Guangzhou North's intercity neighbour a direct link to Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station, which has Beijing trains that Guangzhou North does not.

High-Speed and Long-Distance Trains

National-rail trains leave from Guangzhou North itself (code GBQ). G trains run south to Guangzhou South and Shenzhen North and north to Qingyuan, Shaoguan, Changsha and Wuhan. The times and fares below are from the 12306 timetable for 29 October 2026, and second-class fares vary by train.

• Guangzhou South: 17–19 minutes, second class from ¥18, about 14 departures a day (for example 07:33, 09:02, 12:17, 16:26, 20:09 and 21:52).
• Qingyuan: 12–15 minutes, second class ¥18.
• Shaoguan: 37–47 minutes, second class from ¥79.
• Changsha South: about 2 h to 2 h 59 min, and the fastest, G6018, takes 1 h 57 min. Second class ¥283–¥319 depending on the train. About 27 G trains a day, first 06:57, last 21:10.
• Wuhan: about 4 h to 4 h 39 min, and the fastest, G400, takes 3 h 17 min. Second class ¥426–¥532 depending on the train. 11 direct G trains a day, first 06:57, last 18:47.
• Shenzhen North: G trains, 49 min to 1 h 13 min, second class from ¥92.5.
• Shenzhen (Luohu): C trains via Dongguan, about 1 h 52 min to 2 h 09 min, second class ¥79.

There were no direct trains from Guangzhou North to Beijing on the sampled date. For Beijing, go first to Guangzhou South by G train or to Guangzhou Baiyun by the Guangqing intercity. When you search 12306, choose Guangzhou North (广州北) by name: a search for "Guangzhou" also returns trains from Guangzhou South and Guangzhou Baiyun.

Book on the 12306 app or website and carry the passport you booked with. If you are changing between a national-rail train and an intercity train here, remember that you are moving between two ticketing stations.

Station Layout: West Square and East Square

The station has two main sides. Use the West Square if you are arriving by Metro Line 9 or taking an intercity train: Line 9's Exit C opens onto it, and the intercity ticket checks are only on this side. The East Square, at 1 Zhanqian Road, has the staffed ticket office, but it is under construction and can be congested.

If you need to buy or change a ticket in person, allow extra time to get round to the East Square. Otherwise, book online and head straight for the West Square. If someone is collecting you by car, pick-up parking is free for the first 10 minutes. For local transport questions, the Huadu transport bureau's hotline is 020-61352084.