In 1987, when the Guangzhou Municipal Government along with
SYSTRA started planning a metro system, four proposals appeared at the time. After soliciting public opinion, the plan for the “cross shaped network” was finally formed. The section of the north–south L-shaped line between Xinshi to Chigang stations in the proposal became the core initial section of Line 2. The "Guangzhou Urban Rapid Rail Transit Network Planning Report" (广州市城市快速轨道交通线网规划研究) published in the late 1990s had already shown intentions to split the now under construction Line 2 around with the "Seven-Line Program". Upon opening, it was the first metro line in Mainland China to be equipped with
platform screen doors, central air conditioning, rigid
overhead line and contactless transit card faregates. On June 28, 2003, the section from Xiaogang to Pazhou were put into service. Fully completing the first phase of Line 2, with a length of . The total cost of Line 2's first phase was estimated to be 11.309 billion yuan, with an average cost of 486 million yuan per kilometer. The project will dismantle the original L-shaped Line 2 and extend it to the south, west and north; transforming Line 2 into a north–south line and spinning off the east–west section into
Line 8. The total estimated cost of the project is 14.729 billion yuan. The project won the 17th China Civil Engineering
Zhan Tianyou Award. File:廣州地鐵二八號線路線變遷.png|Map of route changes in the area between Jiangnanxi to Xiaogang from 2002 to its present configuration. File:广州地铁二八号线拆解过程.jpg|Track configuration in the area between Jiangnanxi to Xiaogang from 2002 to its present configuration. ==Service routes==