New train services linking HK, mainland

Passengers taking the high-speed sleeper train D910 bound for Beijing West Railway Station pose for photos at Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong, on Saturday. Photos by Xinhua

The high-speed sleeper train services between Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai were officially launched Saturday, cutting the travel time from Hong Kong to Beijing and Shanghai to 12 hours 34 minutes and 11 hours 14 minutes, respectively.

According the the new schedule that took effect on Saturday, the high-speed sleeper trains — each of which can carry more than 600 passengers — operate in the evenings from Friday to Monday.

The train D909 departs from Beijing West Station at 8:13 p.m.and arrives at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station at 8:47 a.m. The train D910 departs from Hong Kong West Kowloon Station at 6:24 p.m. and arrives at Beijing West Station at 6:53 a.m.

The train D907 departs from Shanghai Hongqiao Station at 8:15 p.m. and arrives at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station at 7:29 a.m. the next day. The train D908 departs from Hong Kong West Kowloon Station at 7:49 p.m. and arrives at Shanghai Hongqiao Station at 6:45 a.m.

The new train services made the travels from Hong Kong to the two first-tier cities in mainland China more convenient.

Passengers board the D910 high-speed sleeper train bound for Beijing West Railway Station at West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong on Saturday. 

At the launch of the sleeper train service on Saturday at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, most passengers were travelers with large luggage. The West Kowloon Station Checkpoint, in cooperation with the West Kowloon Railway Station, added more hands onsite to guide passengers and handle the luggage.

Data showed the tickets to Beijing were sold out quickly through the ticketing website of China Railway, www.12306.cn. As the sleeper trains can offer a more comfortable travel experience for passengers, the new service attracts more seniors and families.

To relieve the border crossing pressure at the West Kowloon Station Checkpoint, the exit and entry port authority had worked together with exit-entry inspection department to adopt measures to guide and divert passengers. The West Kowloon Station Customs also implemented measures to give priorities to those passengers to catch the train with 30 minutes left.

The launch of high-speed sleeper train services has received a warm welcome in Hong Kong, with all sleeper berths on northbound trains fully booked and a notable surge in sales of related travel products.

Tourism insiders hailed the new services as a further enhancement of the high-speed rail network, and they expressed the hope that the new service will be extended to more mainland cities.