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More high-speed trains will be operating between the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), starting June 15 significantly reducing travel times and further integrating Hong Kong into China’s overall development.
China Railway announced on Tuesday via WeChat that two pairs of high-speed overnight trains with sleepers will replace the previous express trains.
The D909/910 will run from Beijing West Railway Station to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, while the D907/908 will travel from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station to West Kowloon Station.
The HKSAR government welcomed the launch of these high-speed overnight trains. John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of the HKSAR, emphasized, “The upgraded train services will meet the demand for cross-boundary travel, promoting exchanges between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland and facilitating Hong Kong’s integration into China’s development.”
Travel times will be significantly reduced. The journey between Beijing and Hong Kong will shorten from 24 hours 31 minutes to just 12 hours 34 minutes.
Similarly, the travel time from Shanghai to Hong Kong will decrease from 19 hours 34 minutes to 11 hours 14 minutes.
These trains will feature advanced facilities and increased capacity, offering over 600 seats.
Customs clearance time will also be streamlined, as passengers will now only need to go through the process once in Hong Kong instead of at both ends.
The high-speed overnight trains will make more stops along the way, increasing the weekly number of trains from 14 to 16.
In addition to these routes, more high-speed trains will be allocated to different routes nationwide to enhance transportation efficiency between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. For example, a new set of bullet trains will operate from Zhangjiajie in Central China’s Hunan Province to Hong Kong starting June 15.
The number of trains operating between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong will peak at 127 pairs, covering 16 provinces.
Hong Kong is now connected to a high-speed railway network that spans 45,000 kilometers across the Chinese mainland.
The number of direct stations will increase from 44 to 78 on June 15, with a minimum of 200 trains per day providing efficient cross-boundary services.
The National Immigration Administration also introduced new policies in April to facilitate business and people-to-people exchanges among the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao.
For example, Beijing and Shanghai will now be included in the multi-entry endorsement policy, allowing certain categories of talent to travel to Hong Kong and Macao with endorsements valid for one to five years, permitting a stay of up to 30 days per trip.
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