Hong Kong Express Rail: High-speed rail link starts trial operations

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Hong Kong's high-speed rail link to the Mainland has begun trial operations. If all goes well, the project will open in September. CGTN's Li Jiejun reports.

This is the new West Kowloon Railway Station in Hong Kong. Starting April 1st, high-speed trains from Guangzhou and Shenzhen will arrive here for a trial run, without any passengers.

Official service on the 140-kilometer Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail is expected to start in September. It will take just 15 minutes for the commute from Hong Kong to Shenzhen, and 45 minutes from Hong Kong to Guangzhou.

At last month's work completion ceremony, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the rail link would greatly change people's lives, bringing them much convenience and greater efficiency.

CARRIE LAM HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE "Today's an important milestone for the high-speed rail project as it is now 99 percent complete. I tried it out myself and it only took eight minutes travelling from Shek Kong Stabling Sidings to here in West Kowloon."

The railway will become the most important line in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The dream of living an hour away from anywhere in the bay area will come true.

The rail link will also connect Hong Kong with the National High Speed Rail Network, the largest high-speed rail network in the world.

Many Hong Kong residents say they would prefer to take the high speed train when traveling to the Mainland. But some say despite a nice comfortable ride, the tickets are too expensive compared with buses and ordinary trains.

A joint border checkpoint is planned at the West Kowloon Station. The Legislative Council will scrutinize the local legislation of the joint checkpoint facility soon.

LI JIEJUN HONG KONG From today onwards, about 700 employees will be working in this railway station to continue the testing. There's high expectations that the rail link can officially begin operations in September. The trainsets will be named "Vibrant Express", as Hong Kong is a vibrant city bursting with energy. Li Jiejun, CGTN, Hong Kong.