Opening ceremony of Mainland-HK high speed rail held

Government leaders from Hong Kong and Guangdong province officiated at the opening ceremony for the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL), held at Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Station Saturday morning.

The ceremony marks Hong Kong’s integration with the mainland’s high-speed rail network – the longest in the world and also the most extensively traveled.

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Governor of Guangdong province Ma Xingrui will set off on a tour in the West Kowloon Station after the ceremony.

Lam and Ma will board a Vibrant Express train, to ride the rails to Guangzhou South Station, a journey covering the full length of the 141 km XRL between Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

The mega cross-boundary infrastructure officially opens to the public Sunday. The first train from Hong Kong to the mainland will set off on 7:00 am from the West Kowloon Station.

The opening of the Hong Kong section of the XRL, a 26km-long underground rail, means travelers can make the trip between the heart of Hong Kong and Shenzhen’s central business district in 14 minutes. Guangzhou is only about 50 minutes away.