Hong Kong to relaunch high-speed rail service to mainland China on Sunday
- MTR Corporation will offer new stops along the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link
- Hong Kong leg was in service for about 16 months before closing in January 2020 because of Covid-19 pandemic
Hong Kong’s high-speed rail link will resume taking passengers over the border with mainland China on Sunday, a week after the two sides resumed quarantine-free travel, the government announced on Wednesday.
Travellers can use new stops at Dongguan, Dongguan South and Guangzhou East, according to the MTR Corporation, which did not reveal details about tickets.
The 26km-long (16 miles) city section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link was in service for about 16 months before it closed in January 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The trains ran from the West Kowloon terminus through to Shenzhen and south Guangzhou.
The terminus will be the latest border control point to reopen after seven others resumed operations after the return of quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong and the mainland on January 8. The mainland also started issuing visas to international travellers for quarantine-free visits for the first time in three years on the same day.
The government said other services such as long-haul routes would resume at a later stage.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Wednesday said he had instructed a team to maintain communication and coordination with mainland authorities and railway operators.
“I am grateful to the central government for its support to Hong Kong, and the Guangdong and Shenzhen municipal governments for their ongoing coordination,” he said on Facebook. “My team and I will continue to work hard and closely with relevant mainland authorities to achieve a full resumption of traveller clearance.”