High-speed trains are finally coming to Hong Kong. The final section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link will open in three weeks connecting the city, for the first time, to China's high-speed rail network. Over the weekend, Hong Kong offered the public a preview of its new station as Mao Dan reports.

Early birds find their efforts pay off. These people are the first Hong Kong residents to have a glimpse of the West Kowloon Station, the first and only high-speed rail station in Hong Kong.

MR. KAN HONG KONG RESIDENT "I think this station is really beautiful. I have been looking forward to seeing the building for a while and when I went inside, I was really amazed by its design, especially the streamlined designs."

YIU SHUIPING HONG KONG STUDENT "The station is much bigger than I expected. I've learned that the "Harmony" bullet trains are very fast. In the future I can go to Guangzhou or Shenzhen by high-speed rail."

The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, soon with the Hong Kong Section put into service, will realize the 'one-hour living circle' for Hong Kong with cities in the Greater Bay Area. And it will reduce rail travel time to Beijing from 24hrs to less than 9hrs. By walking around inside the station, the previewers can get an idea of how to make a trip with the high-speed train and in particular, how the co-location arrangement will enable passengers to complete their cross-border formalities in one-go within the station. The formalities are currently done separately in places of departure and arrival for people traveling between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, which takes more time and limits the number of direct routes.

MS. YAU HONG KONG RESIDENT "The new arrangement is really time-saving. To do the border checks within one station will be convenient for passengers. The high-speed train is convenient enough, I think, for me to use it to go to far-away places like Beijing. I've never been on a bullet train. I am really looking forward to trying it."

MR. YANG HONG KONG RESIDENT "I still don't understand how the co-location arrangement works. But I think it will be more convenient, so it should be welcomed. I can't wait to experience the high-speed rail, just to go to any of the destinations. I have some friends in Beijing so I think I will visit them very soon by high-speed train."

The high-speed trains will begin passenger service from Hong Kong in three weeks. But for the fast-paced city, the Express Rail Link can't arrive too soon. MAO DAN CGTN HONG KONG.