High-speed trains between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong will be operating by September 23, as soon as Hong Kong’s West Kowloon station is put in use.
Tickets go on sale starting today (September 10), and are available for purchase at ticketing counters, a telephone hotline and online ticketing platforms. Passengers can purchase tickets through the 12306.cn website or app, provided they have a Chinese phone number. Tickets can also be reserved through Trip.com.
The train will connect Hong Kong with China's massive high-speed rail network, with up to 44 destinations within the mainland now easily accessible from West Kowloon station. That includes major cities such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan.
A rendering of West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong. Image via Wikimedia Commons
A journey from Shanghai’s Hongqiao station to Hong Kong can be completed in eight hours and 17 minutes for the price of just RMB1,008 (second class seats) on the new train. The journey from Beijing West station will be nine hours long, with tickets starting from RMB1,077.
The train will also significantly cut travel times within the Pearl River Delta region. The 48-minute journey from Guangzhou South to Hong Kong will cost as low as RMB214 (HKD260), while fares from Futian and Shenzhen North will start from RMB66 (HKD80) and RMB74 (HKD90), respectively. The trip from Shenzhen Futian Station will take just 15 minutes.
The train is expected to carry over 80,000 passengers per day.
Entering and exiting Hong Kong is made easier by the new co-location arrangement (“一地两检“), greatly reducing the time spent at customs.
Image via Wikimedia Commons
[Top image via Wikimedia Commons]
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