China News Agency, Hong Kong, January 12 (Reporter Han Xingtong) After three years of suspension, the Hong Kong section of the high-speed rail will resume service on January 15.
Lin Shixiong, director of the Transport and Logistics Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, announced on the 12th that some short-distance services will be resumed at the initial stage of the high-speed rail resumption, with a daily ticket limit of 10,000.
The MTR Corporation later added that after the resumption of short-distance high-speed rail, 3 new stations will be added, and electronic ticketing will be fully introduced.
On January 11, in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, a high-speed rail train departing from Hong Kong West Kowloon Station arrived at Guangzhou South Station.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Chen Jimin
Lin Shixiong said that in the initial stage of the resumption of high-speed rail, short-distance services between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and Futian, Shenzhen North and Guangzhou South Stations will be resumed.
In the initial stage of resumption of operation, in order to ensure smooth and safe high-speed rail services, the daily limit for selling tickets is 10,000, 5,000 for the northbound and 5,000 for the southbound.
He mentioned that the SAR government will review the demand and the operation of the station in real time, and study the increase of ticket sales in due course.
Lin Shixiong mentioned that during the three years when the service of the Hong Kong section of the high-speed rail was suspended, there were many new attractions near Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, such as M+, the Hong Kong Palace Museum, etc. I believe that these places will increase the attractiveness of the high-speed rail service.
Yang Meizhen, Director of Hong Kong Passenger Services of the MTR Corporation, said that after the resumption of the Hong Kong section of the high-speed rail, three new short-distance stations will be added, including Dongguan South Station, Dongguan Station, and Guangzhou East Station.
After the increase, the Hong Kong section of the high-speed rail will connect 61 stations across China.
She believes that the addition of the new station Guangzhou East marks the opening of a very important connection point for the short-distance high-speed rail network. It will complement Guangzhou South Railway Station and further deepen the interconnection of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Data map Hong Kong's "Spring Festival Transport" in the era of high-speed rail.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Hong Shaokui
In addition, Yang Meizhen said that Hong Kong West Kowloon Station has fully introduced electronic tickets, and there will be no more paper tickets, making the operation more intelligent and the boarding process simpler and smoother.
It is reported that the electronic ticket will be connected with the information of the passenger's travel certificate, and the passenger can enter the gate and board the train with the certificate. Passengers can purchase tickets through multiple channels such as China Railway's official online ticketing system 12306, ticket counters and ticket vending machines in stations, or designated agents.
In order to cope with the new electronic ticketing arrangements, the MTR Corporation has re-arranged the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and upgraded the equipment. It has set up 10 self-service passages and 6 staff auxiliary passages, and the entrance facilities are doubled compared with the previous ones.
Yang Meizhen revealed that Hong Kong West Kowloon Station will open to passengers to buy tickets at 2 pm on the 12th. The MTR Corporation will continue to maintain communication with the mainland railway units to discuss the gradual resumption of high-speed rail arrangements for medium and long-distance trains, and fully support Hong Kong and the mainland in a gradual and orderly manner. Resume normal personnel exchanges between the two places.
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