The 90-year-old Buji Railway Station in Longgang District will become a new key transport hub and a landmark for Shenzhen after a facelift, Chinese-language newspapers reported Thursday.

After renovation, the 137,100 sqm station will be expanded to cater for 25 to 30 pairs of long-distance passenger trains with an estimated daily passenger flow of 50,000 in the near future and 90,000 ultimately. The trains will mainly head to cities in Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi and Anhui provinces.

There will be a Shenzhen Metro Line 3 stop in the new station while 12 new bus and nine minibus lines will open there, with an expected peak passenger flow of 15,000. There will be no long-distance bus lines.

The new hub will relieve pressure on long-distance trains at the Luohu Railway Station, experts say.

The facelift will also help boost the area surrounding the Buji station, which is expected to become the new center for Buji, experts say.

Two design alternatives had been selected from five candidates, and the final design would combine advantages of both, the city planning bureau said.

There is as yet no timetable for the facelift.

Buji Railway Station serves as a stop for some trains running on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen line.

(Shenzhen Daily November 26, 2004)