THESE Cities in China Now Have Direct Trains to Hong Kong

Traveling between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland is about to get even easier! 

According to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., high-speed rail routes between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and a number of cities on the Chinese mainland will operate as normal from April 1, 2023 onwards, reports Guangming Daily. 

Routes between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and a number of destinations in Guangdong province are already operating as normal. 

Here’s a full list of routes. 

Routes Already In Operation (Guangdong Province Only)

Guangzhou South-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 1 hours, 6 minutes 

Stops at: Humen, Shenzhen North, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Guangzhou East-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 1 hours, 42 minutes 

Stops at: Dongguan, Dongguan South, Shenzhen North, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Shenzhen North-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 24 minutes 

Stops at: Futian, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Futian-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 14 minutes 

Stops at: Hong Kong West Kowloon

Chaoshan-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 2 hours, 30 minutes 

Stops at: Puning, Lufeng, Shanwei, Shenzhen North, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Shantou-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 2 hours, 53 minutes 

Stops at: Chaoshan, Puning, Lufeng, Huizhou South, Shenzhen North, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Zhaoqing East-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 1 hours, 59 minutes 

Stops at: Sanshui South, Foshan West, Guangzhou South, Qingsheng, Guangmingcheng, Shenzhen North, Futian, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Routes Scheduled to Operate as Normal from April 1, 2023 Onwards (Tickets Available as of Press Time)

Changsha South-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 3 hours, 45 minutes 

Stops at: Zhuzhou West, Hengshan West, Chenzhou West, Shaoguan, Guangzhou South, Shenzhen North, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Beijing West-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 8 hours, 31 minutes 

Stops at: Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou East, Wuhan, Changsha South, Guangzhou South, Shenzhen North, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Kunming South-Hong Kong West Kowloon (from April 2)

Journey time: 8 hours, 40 minutes 

Stops at: Guiyang North, Guilin West, Guangzhou South, Shenzhen North, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Shanghai Hongqiao-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 7 hours, 56 minutes 

Stops at: Hangzhou East, Jinhua, Shangrao, Nanchang West, Ganzhou West, Huizhou North, Dongguan South, Guangmingcheng, Shenzhen North, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Tianjin West-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 10 hours, 39 minutes 

Stops at: Shengfang, Baiyangdian, Shijiazhuang, Handan East, Zhengzhou East, Wuhan, Yueyang East, Changsha South, Hengyang East, Guangzhou South, Shenzhen North, Futian, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Chongqing West-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 8 hours, 46 minutes 

Stops at: Zunyi, Guiyang East, Guilin West, Zhaoqing East, Guangzhou South, Shenzhen North, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Nanning East-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 4 hours 

Stops at: Wuzhou South, Foshan West, Guangzhou South, Shenzhen North, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Fuzhou-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 5 hours, 18 minutes 

Stops at: Putian, Quanzhou, Xiamen North, Chaoshan, Puning, Lufeng, Huizhou South, Shenzhen North, Futian, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Xiamen-Hong Kong West Kowloon

Journey time: 4 hours, 14 minutes 

Stops at: Zhangzhou, Yunxiao, Chaoshan, Puning, Lufeng, Huizhou South, Shenzhen Pingshan, Shenzhen North, Futian, Hong Kong West Kowloon

Hong Kong West Kowloon Station became fully operational in September, 2018. The station operates under a policy known as ‘one place two checks,’ meaning those who arrive via train from the Chinese mainland effectively cross the border into Hong Kong at the station, and vice versa. Authorities from the Chinese mainland have jurisdiction within part of the station.

The crossing point between Chinese mainland and Hong Kong customs in Hong Kong West Kowloon Station

Hong Kong West Kowloon Station

Inside Hong Kong West Kowloon Station

Train services between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, as was most cross-border travel. 

Hong Kong can likely expect a big tourism boost from the Chinese mainland and elsewhere now that cross-border travel is essentially back to ‘normal.’

The city’s airport already saw more than 2 million passengers in January of this year. 

READ MORE: Hong Kong Airport Sees Over 2 Million Passengers in January  

[Cover image via Pixabay. In-text images via That's/Alistair Baker-Brian]