Guangzhou Metro Line 3 explained: branches and destinations

One line, two northern branches

Think of Metro Line 3 as a Y. One upper arm reaches Airport North / 机场北; the other reaches Tianhe Coach Terminal / 天河客运站 via Shipaiqiao and Gangding. They meet at Tiyu Xilu / 体育西路, below which trains share the southern corridor towards Haibang / 海傍.

The map shows the places a line can reach. The destination display tells you where this particular train will go. Some services cross the junction; others end there or turn back earlier. That is why the right line number alone is not enough.

Do not check only the line number. Check the destination.

At a southern-corridor station, a northbound Airport North train and a Tianhe Coach Terminal train first share the same route, then separate after Tiyu Xilu. For a stop on one branch, choose the train for that branch or arrange the necessary change.

A through service continues across the junction without ending there. A short-turn service ends before the end of the corridor. In March 2026, Metro changed off-peak services that had ended at Panyu Square to end at Dashi. This is why a map of the full line is not a promise that every train runs its full length.

Destination names you may see

When changing is part of the route

From the Tianhe branch to the airport branch, change at Tiyu Xilu. From the southern corridor on a train already displaying Airport North, remain on it. Coming from the airport towards the south, stay on a through train serving your station; leave a train that ends at Tiyu Xilu.

At Tiyu Xilu, a centre-track terminating arrival has a specific both-side-door arrangement. Do not extend that instruction to every train calling at the station. Tiyu Xilu station guide

Common mistakes, and how to recover

An airport-bound visitor can board a Tianhe Coach Terminal train because both are Metro Line 3. Check while still on the shared corridor and change before the branch takes you away. A visitor going to Shipaiqiao can make the opposite mistake by staying on an airport-origin train that continues south; change at Tiyu Xilu instead.

A shorter southern service is a different issue. It may pass your stop, in which case it is useful, or finish before it, in which case you need a later continuation. Do not reject every short-turn train automatically, and do not assume it will change its destination to suit your trip.

For a flight, check more than the branch

The airport guide covers the current Airport South closure and T2/T3 connections. This line explanation tells you how to select a train, but choosing Airport North alone does not finish a T3 journey. Using Metro Line 3 to and from Baiyun Airport