Beijing-Hong Kong High-Speed Rail Opens Today... 'One China' Gets Faster

Acceleration of the 'Sinicization of Hong Kong' with the Opening of the Railway

The high-speed rail connecting Beijing, China, and Hong Kong was inaugurated on the 15th.

According to Chinese-language media such as Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily, this railway operates once daily for four days a week, from Friday to Monday. It has 600 seats, including sleeper seats. The high-speed rail is expected to replace the regular direct trains between Hong Kong and mainland China, which were suspended after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The high-speed rail reduces travel time by about half compared to existing trains. It takes approximately 12 and a half hours from Beijing West Station to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station. Previously, the journey from Beijing to Hong Kong took 30 hours.

The high-speed train departs Beijing West Station at 8:13 PM local time and arrives in Hong Kong at 8:47 AM the next day. It also operates from Hong Kong, departing at 6:24 PM and arriving in Beijing at 6:53 AM the following day.

According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP), John Lee, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, expressed gratitude to the Chinese central government and railway authorities earlier this month, stating that this will "strengthen integration with mainland China."