Hong Kong’s high-speed rail link resumes short-haul service 1 week shy of Lunar New Year, after 3 years of coronavirus curbs
- First passengers catch train to Guangzhou, with MTR Corp holding relaunch ceremony at 6am
- West Kowloon terminus is latest control point in city to reopen, with some 6,500 travellers arriving or departing from station as of 6pm on Sunday
Hong Kong’s high-speed rail link to Guangzhou on Sunday resumed short-haul services for the first time in three years after Beijing a week earlier scrapped quarantine for arrivals, with some travellers noting the significance of the ride in the run-up to Lunar New Year and others eager for long-awaited family reunions.
Some 6,500 travellers arrived or departed from the West Kowloon terminus as of 6pm. The control point is the latest to reopen in Hong Kong, following the earlier resumption of operations at seven others.
In the first week since the launch of quarantine-free, cross-border travel on January 8, a check by the Post found that the number of people heading to Hong Kong from mainland China had reached around 46,000, more than double the about 20,000 logged during the week before the reopening.
On Sunday, 34-year-old Heinrich Tse, dressed in a national rail company uniform, joined the early birds on the first train to leave the city at 7am and planned to spend a leisurely day in Shenzhen.
“This ride carries greater significance, being the first train returning into our country,” he noted. “It’s more exciting wearing a uniform, though I’m also worried that I may be accused of pretending to be a staff member.”
The trains only accept electronic tickets, requiring passengers to scan their identification cards at the gates and undergo facial recognition before proceeding to security checks.
Travellers were reminded that hand-sanitising gels or sprays containing alcohol were not allowed on the trains, as alcohol is listed among prohibited carry-on items.
