By C. Perera, JadeTimes News
Hong Kong is set to launch a high speed rail service to Beijing and Shanghai on June 15, significantly reducing travel times between these major cities. The new service, operated by Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway Corporation , will cut the journey to Beijing from 24 hours to 12.5 hours and the trip to Shanghai from 19.5 hours to 11 hours.
The sleeper trains, which will run from Friday to Monday, consist of sixteen cars and can accommodate approximately 600 passengers, including thirteen sleeper cars, one dining car, and two second class seating cars.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee highlighted the upgrades to the rail service, noting improved speed, increased seating capacity, and modernized facilities.While flights remain faster, the overnight train service offers savings on accommodation costs.
The MTR aims to enhance tourism and business travel to Hong Kong, which has been recovering from the impacts of large scale protests, COVID 19 travel restrictions, and national security laws. Visitor arrivals, predominantly from mainland China, have been increasing since the city reopened its borders, though they have not yet reached pre pandemic levels.
The government, alongside this rail initiative, is promoting Hong Kong as a prime tourist destination. Kevin Yeung, Secretary for Culture, Sports, and Tourism, emphasized the importance of warmly welcoming visitors to bolster Hong Kong's tourism industry.