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Hong Kong transport
Opinion
SCMP Editorial
Editorial
SCMP Editorial

Expanded Hong Kong-mainland rail links can be engine of growth

The addition of new destinations offers travellers more options and further unlocks the economic potential of the high-speed rail service

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Passengers wait to depart at the ticketing concourse in Hong Kong West Kowloon Station on January 11. Photo: Sam Tsang
SCMP Editorial
Editorials represent the views of the South China Morning Post on the issues of the day.
When it comes to travelling by rail, connectivity is as important as speed. The latest expansion of direct high-speed rail access to 16 more mainland Chinese destinations is set to boost both the popularity of railway travel and cross-border integration and tourism development. The city should seize the opportunity and capitalise on the full economic potential of the new rail services.

The additional stops, which primarily cover the Yangtze River Delta region and Guangdong province, increase the number of direct-access destinations to 110. These include Hefei in Anhui and Miluo East in Hunan. Travellers can also reach as far as Nanjing and Wuxi in Jiangsu province without transfers. In response to strong demand, the sleeper train service to Shanghai’s Hongqiao station will also be increased from four pairs a week to running daily.

It will be up to individual travellers to choose whether to travel by air or rail. Currently, a direct train journey to Wuxi takes eight hours at the cost of HK$1,042 (US$134), while a flight cuts the trip to under three hours for around HK$800. Travel agencies have welcomed the expansion and are expected to study the feasibility of new offers in light of costs and benefits.

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