The subway network in Guangzhou, capital of south China's bustling Guangdong Province, will stretch to 222 km ahead of the Asian Games in November next year, an official said Friday.

Xu Ruisheng, deputy secretary general of the Guangzhou Asian Games organizing committee, said the host city now has four subway lines covering 116 km in operation.

Guangzhou is expected to open eight more subway lines ahead of the Asian Games, nearly doubling the length of tracks to 222 km, Xu said.

Spectators could then take subway to 80 percent of the Games' venues, he said.

Major international games often offer opportunity for transport development and upgrading in the host cities, experts said.

Beijing, host to the 2008 Olympic Games, had four subway lines in operation in 2007, but the number has doubled to eight, with the length of tracks being extended to 200 km from 114 km.