CGTN reporter Li Jiejun checked out the ride starting from the Kowloon side.

LI JIEJUN WEST KOWLOON STATION, HONG KONG "Thanks, Weiwei. I'm now in the waiting hall at the West Kowloon Station. In about 10 minutes, I will board the first of the new high-speed trains heading for Shenzhen. I'm so lucky because it's very difficult to get tickets for this first train. So I got up early and arrived at the station at 6 am. It takes me about 40 minutes to go through all the procedures, including the security check and immigration inspection. It's very convenient. Despite this being the first day the station is in operation, everything is going according to plan. There are four floors under the ground. Passengers buy tickets on B1. Then they go down to B3 to get checked by both Hong Kong and Chinese mainland immigration officials. Taking high-speed trains to travel around the country has become a way of life for many Chinese people living in the mainland. But for Hong Kong residents, today is a historic day. Many people want to be part of the maiden voyage."

HK RESIDENT "We are going back to our hometown in Guangdong for mid-autumn day family reunion. In the past, we have to take a car or train to Shenzhen, and then change for a coach. Now we can reach our destination directly. It saves a lot of time."

LI JIEJUN ON BOARD HONG KONG-SHENZHEN TRAIN "I'm in the brand-new train now. The train is called Vibrant Express, symbolizing Hong Kong's characteristics - a vibrant city bursting with energy. You can see the interior design of the train also shows fashion and vitality. The train has 579 seats and two easy-access seats. The first and eighth cars are first class, and the rest are second class, with no dining car. Similar to other high-speed trains in the Chinese mainland, chairs are equipped with lights, entertainment controls and tables. But one extra perk - power sockets for both Hong Kong and mainland types of plug are provided. The train can reach a maximum speed of over 350 km per hour. But in the Hong Kong section, it will run at a speed of 200 km per hour."

HK RESIDENT "The experience is very nice. It's very clean in the carriage. I'm so happy and excited that I can take the first high-speed train out of Hong Kong with my family."

LI JIEJUN SHENZHEN NORTH STATION PLATFORM "Well, it's really a fast journey. I arrived at Shenzhen north railway station in just 19 minutes. Usually if I take an ordinary train or bus, it will take me over an hour to get here. But taking this bullet train, it saved at least 40 minutes. Actually from today on, high-speed trains from Hong Kong will reach 44 cities altogether in the mainland, including Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai. Travellers from Hong Kong have one more option when they go north. And one of the biggest advantages is that the link offers them direct routes to at least 15 destinations with no airports. Experts say Hong Kong's outbound tourism will grow 20 percent in the future. The railway link will greatly promote Hong Kong's integration with the mainland. LJJ, CGTN, HONGKONG."