The Ministry of Environmental Protection has released the plan to build Guangzhou Metro's Line 21 running between Tianhe District and Zengcheng for public consultation.

The proclamation means the plan has been finalized and is seeking the approval of the ministry – a very important endorsement the metro operator needs to start a construction project. Comparing to the first draft, the finalized plan adds six stations to a total of 20 stations.

The new line takes Yuancun as the transfer station with Line 5 and the east terminus, while Zengcheng Square is the west terminus. The plan connects the downtown with several newly-built or proposed satellite towns in the east of Guangzhou, like the Intelligence City, Science Town and the urban area of Zengcheng. It will provide great convenience to the people who work or live in the new towns. And it is a very important step in the blueprint of Guangzhou Government's eastward development to make the East Guangzhou as a more modernized and urbanized area.

Line 21 will use trains of six carriages. Each of them runs at a maximum speed of 120 km/h and has a capacity of 1,258 passengers. It is planned to operate every day from 6am to 12am.

Proposed stations of Line 21

Yuancun (员村), Tianhe Park (天河公园), Tangdong (棠东), Huangcun ( 黄村), Shijie Daguan (世界大观), Intelligence City (智慧城), Shenzhou Lu (神舟路), Science Square (科学广场), Xiangang (暹岗), Shuixi (水西), Changping (长平), Jinkeng (金坑), Zhenlong South (镇龙南), Zhenlong (镇龙), Zhongxin (中新), Zhongxin East (中新东), Zhucun (朱村), Xiangling (象岭), Zhonggang (钟岗) and Zengcheng Square (增城广场).