我国第一条城际地铁、广州与佛山的广佛地铁昨天（11月3日）正式开通了。今后。来往于广州、佛山两市的市中心，只需30多分钟，大大方便了人们的出行。广佛地铁全长约21公里，全线共设站21座。其中，佛山市境内有11站，广州市境内有3站，广佛线最高运行速度为每小时80公里。广佛线的开通适逢亚运广州公交免票阶段，因此，到12月10日之前，广佛地铁将同样实行免费营运，而在正常收费时段，广佛地铁首通段全程票价为6元。

A subway train enters Xilang Station, an interchange station on the Guangzhou-Foshan Subway Line for the Guangzhou Subway Line 1, Nov 3, 2010. China's first inter-city subway linking the two Southern Chinese cities hosting the 2010 Asian Games opened on Wednesday. (Xinhua)

A subway train enters Xilang Station, an interchange station on the Guangzhou-Foshan Subway Line for the Guangzhou Subway Line 1, Nov 3, 2010. China's first inter-city subway linking the two Southern Chinese cities hosting the 2010 Asian Games opened on Wednesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's first inter-city subway, linking two Southern Chinese cities hosting the 2010 Asian Games, started operations Wednesday.

The 21-kilometer Guangfo Line connects Guangzhou City with Foshan City, both in the manufacturing hub of the Pearl River Delta region in Guangdong Province.

Riders on the subway will find that the travel time between the two cities has been reduced from 90 minutes to 30 minutes, said sources with the subway company Guangzhou Metro.

The line has 14 stations and a ride from end to end costs only six yuan (less than $1).

Local authorities have been pushing for the increased integration of cities in the Pearl River Delta and consider the operation of the Guangfo Line a big step in that direction.

The subway was purposely opened one week prior to the start of the 2010 Asian Games. The competitions will be held in Guangzhou, Foshan, Dongguan, and Shanwei.

(Xinhua)

（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）