In the 1950s, the Guangdong provincial government saw the need for a new central train station in Guangzhou to meet the increasing demands for rail travels.

Construction began in 1960, but it was not completed until 1974 due to interruptions by the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.

On April 4, 1979, with the normalisation of relations with Hong Kong, the through-train service that was suspended for over twenty-five years was resumed.

[1] It is located at the underground of the west square of Guangzhou Railway Station, located at the junction of Ring Road West (Chinese: 环市西路; pinyin: Huánshì Xī Lù; Jyutping: waan4 si5 sai1 lou6 and Renmin Road North (人民北路; Rénmín Běi Lù; jan4 man4 bak1 lou6) in Yuexiu District.

Its area is about 10,000 square meters (107,639 sq ft) and it is the second largest metro station in Guangzhou.