A high-speed rail link to Hong Kong has been launched in western Chinese regions, especially around Chengdu
On Saturday, China’s high-speed railway launched a direct service between Chengdu in far west and Hong Kong. The train departs from the Chengdudong Railway Station at 8:48 am, passes through Leshan, Yibin, Guiyang, Guilin, Foshan, Guangzhou and Shenzhen before arriving at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station at 18:55 pm.
The train covers the total distance of 1700 km in 10 hours and seven minutes. In return direction, the train will leave Hong Kong at 10:08 am reaching Chengdu at 19:53 pm, with the duration of the entire journey lasting about 9 hours and 45 minutes.
According to China Railway Chengdu Bureau Group Co., Ltd., in order to ensure smooth transition of operation, Chengdudong Railway Station has optimised semi-self-service ticket gates and other equipment in the complex to ensure the normal use of the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents.
The train operator says that the passenger service attendants of the Chengdu section of the Chengdu-Hong Kong high-speed railway route have undergone special Cantonese training, so that the crew members can quickly master basic Cantonese. Hong Kong’s newspapers have reported that the train will facilitate the exchange of people travelling between Hong Kong and the Mainland.
Located in north western China, Chengdu is well-known as a sanctuary of the endangered species of the giant panda. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is home to the world’s largest captive-bred giant panda population.
As a core city of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, a national-level urban agglomeration, Chengdu has a permanent population of over 21 million, and has succeeded into one of the fastest-growing cities in China in recent years.
According to the media reports, Chengdu and Hong Kong have fostered long-standing and in-depth cooperation in various fields such as finance, culture and tourism, and urban construction. In 2022, there were 1,520 Hong Kong enterprises in Chengdu, and injected USD 1.259 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in Chengdu. From January to April 2023, 73 new Hong Kong enterprises have established in Chengdu, with a foreign direct investment of USD 453 million.
Direct boarding and customs clearance in Hong Kong, and the opening of the high-speed rail line provide passengers travelling between Chengdu and Hong Kong with yet another travel option. At the same time, this linkage further advances the flow of people as well as economic and trade exchanges between the two sides, reinvigorating the rapid development of the regional economy.
On July 28th, the 31st FISU Summer World University Games will be held in Chengdu, which is the first time for a city in western China to host a world comprehensive event, says the statement and the opening of the “Chengdu-Hong Kong” high-speed rail line may provide a new path for people to participate in this sports festival, it says.
