Demand for high-speed trains surges

Adelyn Lau

Around 24 more high-speed rail trains will be running daily between West Kowloon station and Futian station in Shenzhen from January 10 to meet high demand, the MTR announced yesterday.

It comes as the number of passengers exceeded 17 million last month since borders reopened in February.

The High Speed Rail will also extend departure times for some short-haul trains to accommodate the peak season.

The last train traveling from West Kowloon to Futian stations will be extended to 11pm.

The set-off time for the last train departing from Futian and Guangzhoudong stations to West Kowloon station will be extended from 10.01pm to 10.31pm, and from 8.18pm to 8.50pm, respectively.

Presale of train tickets on January 10 will be available from tomorrow.

Jeny Yeung Mei-chun, MTR Corp's managing director, said: "I am delighted that our team's efforts have received the support of our passengers, with passenger volume steadily increasing and making High Speed Rail the preferred cross-boundary travel choice for many passengers."

The team will continue to provide more convenient services in the coming year, she added.

As the High Speed Rail is adjusting train schedules and ticketing systems, passengers are advised to check the latest schedule information and presale arrangements on the mainland's 12306 website or mobile application before purchasing tickets.

Updates can be viewed on the High Speed Rail's webpage.

It is understood that the Shenzhen rail authority will be operating over 5,900 trains to places across the country for the New Year holiday from tomorrow until January 2, serving more than three million passengers.

However, train services from Shenzhen to destinations such as Changsha and Chaoshan have been sold out.

In response to the situation in ticket pre-sales and standby tickets' availability on the 12306 platform, the Shenzhen railway department will arrange more trains transporting between Shenzhen north and Guangzhou south, Heyuan east, Puning, Chaoshan and Changsha south.

Futian station is strengthening its service standards to provide assistance to holiday travelers amid the heavy traffic period between the Shenzhen and Hong Kong high-speed rails, according to Shenzhen railway.

Shenzhen station has also allocated more staff to cope with the high passenger volume during the travel peak between Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Dedicated personnel are stationed at key locations, such as the entrance and ticket inspection spots, to provide assistance and ensure a smooth travel experience.

Nanchang-Huangshan high speed rail, a crucial part of the Hangzhou-Nanchang rail system, was officially opened yesterday and signified a full-scale operation of the entire line.

It takes at least 49 minutes to travel from Nanchang east to Jingdezhen north station and an hour and 45 minutes to Huangshan north station.

The new 288-kilometer rail travels to cities, such as Shangrao and Jingdezhen, at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour, passing through 10 stations.

Construction began in October 2018, and several key projects have been completed along the way, including Jinxi Lake Grand Bridge, Yaoli Tunnel and Xiwuling Tunnel.

The Jinxi Lake Grand Bridge, with a total length of 33.1 km, spans the important tributary of Poyang Lake, Jinxi Lake.

adelyn.lau@singtaonewscorp.com