More holiday cross-border train trips

There will be 22 additional daily train trips on the High-Speed Rail running between Hong Kong and Shenzhen during the Christmas and New Year holidays to cater for cross-border consumption as well as attract more mainland visitors to the city.

Among them, 20 trips will be running between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and Shenzhen's Futian Station while the other two will be going to and from Shenzhen North Station each day from Friday to next Tuesday and from December 29 to January 1.

The MTR said yesterday that over 200 trains will travel between Hong Kong and Shenzhen each day during the timeframe.

"Railway services between Hong Kong and Shenzhen will be enhanced during the holiday period to make cross-border traveling more convenient for Hongkongers and mainland passengers as well as to encourage more mainland tourists to [visit] the city," the MTR said, adding it had discussed the issue with mainland railway authorities.

Tickets for the additional trains were made available from yesterday,it said.

All additional trains between the city and Futian Station are eligible for a same-day flexi-trip arrangement, which allows passengers to make last-minute changes three times on the day they travel.

The MTR also reminded passengers to reserve enough time before departure amid holiday crowds.

"We will strengthen instructions and announcements as well as increase manpower in the station to better assist passengers," it added.

Three Peter Rabbit Christmas-themed photo spots have been set up at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, including Christmas cozy gift garden on level G, Christmas sweet candy garden and Christmas magical journey corridor on level B1. Passengers can take photos with them until mid-January.

All railway lines on the East Rail Line, Airport Express and Disneyland Resort Line, and seven Light Rail routes - 505, 507, 610, 614P, 615P, 706 and 751 - will operate overnight on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Journeys to or from Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau stations will not operate overnight.

MTR buses 506, K51 and K54 will extend their service hours.