High-speed sleeper trains linking mainland and Hong Kong start service, slashing travel time

High-speed sleeper trains linking Beijing and Shanghai with south China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) commenced operations on Saturday, slashing travel time and taking passengers to their destinations overnight.

The new service cuts travel times between Beijing and Hong Kong to just 12 hours and 34 minutes from 24 hours and 31 minutes, and Shanghai to Hong Kong to 11 hours and 14 minutes from 19 hours and 34 minutes.

Long-haul trains from Hong Kong West Kowloon Station to Beijing West Railway Station and Shanghai Hongqiao Station used to only operate during the daytime. With the newly launched sleeper trains, passengers can take advantage of the "sleep and arrive" concept, utilizing nighttime travel for a more flexible and convenient travel option. They can depart from any of these cities every Friday to Monday night and arrive at their destination the following morning.

Two high-speed sleeper trains, each with more than 600 seats and sleeper beds, set off from Beijing and Shanghai for Hong Kong on Saturday evening, signaling an upgrade of the through-train services linking the three cities.

Train D909 set off from Beijing West Railway Station at 8:13 p.m. on Saturday and arrived at Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station at 8:46 a.m. on Sunday. Meanwhile, the D908 train, which departed West Kowloon Station at 7:47 p.m. on Saturday, arrived in Shanghai on Sunday, according to a China Media Group (CMG) report.

Tickets for the first sleeper train went on sale on June 5, and all tickets have already sold out. The sleeper trains have two second-class carriages, 13 sleeper carriages and one dining carriage. Each compartment has four beds.

The train also has a premium sleeper car.

Many passengers on the first sleeper train to Beijing from Hong Kong went through the last inspection procedures and came to the arrival hall to wait for a ticket check one hour earlier. 

"I can sleep one night on the train, so I can get to Beijing very comfortably," Wong Wai-kei, a passenger from Hong Kong, told CMG.

"I am excited, so I prepared well in advance. Also, my luggage is very heavy, so I can take my time and walk a little slower," another passenger, who gave his name as Chow, told CMG.

HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in June that the new service and other enhancements announced by China Railway will allow passengers to travel on bullet trains connecting the special administrative region to additional destinations on the Chinese mainland. They include the picturesque city of Zhangjiajie in central China's Hunan Province and aim to strengthen bonds between the HKSAR and the Chinese mainland.

Starting from Saturday, a pair of trains are scheduled to run between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and Zhangjiajie West Station every day, with a travel time of 6 hours and 22 minutes.