Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, is busy this year in construction of subways, according to the plan to open nine lines by 2010, when the Asian Games is held in the city.

Thursday's "China Daily" reported that Metro projects planned to be completed this year include the extension at the Pazhou end of Line 2, the Kecun-Guangzhou East Railway Station section of Line 3, and the section of Line 4 linking up the University City.

The newspaper quoted the city government sources as saying construction is expected to start full scale on lines 4 and 5 this year, and the city will strive to start building experimental sections of lines 6, 8 and the airport line. Preliminary work will continue on the line linking Guangzhou and the neighboring city of Foshan.

Spending on lines 3, 4 and 5 alone this year will amount to 3.3 billion yuan (398 million US dollars) to be paid by government funds and bank loans, according to the Guangzhou Municipal Development and Reform Commission.

When all the lines are completed by 2010, the subway network in Guangzhou will be about 255 km long.

The subway system, seen by the municipal government as an important way to ease the mounting traffic pressure on the roads, makes up part of the plan for an overall facelift of the city before the 2010 Asian Games. It is intended to shorten traveling time as the urban area expands.

The permanent population in Guangzhou exceeds 10 million. Average daily traffic on subway lines 1 and 2 topped 450,000 passengers last year, according to Guangzhou Metro Corp., which is wholly owned by the government.

The two lines, with a combined length of 37 km, carried 640,000 passengers per day on average during the week-long May day holiday season, setting a day record of 890,000 passengers on May 1.

Line 3, totaling 36 km and 18 stops when completed in 2006, will become the first line on the Chinese mainland capable of accommodating speeds of 120 km per hour, said sources from the Guangzhou Metro Corp.

In the meantime, Guangzhou intends to build a light railway linking Guangzhou East Railway Station and the New Zhujiang Town, which is expected to be the city's urban center in coming years, according to the Guangzhou Municipal Construction Commission.