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A new high-speed sleeper train to Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station will depart Beijing West Station on June 15, 2024.
CNN Hong Kong —
Want to end your trip to Hong Kong with a long weekend in Beijing or Shanghai? A new high-speed sleeper train service makes it easier than ever.
Two new overnight routes between Beijing and Shanghai began service on June 15th.
Both trains depart Hong Kong West Kowloon station in the evening, arriving in Beijing at 6:53 AM and Shanghai at 6:45 AM. Journey times are approximately 12.5 hours and 11 hours respectively. Return trains depart Beijing and Shanghai at approximately 8 PM, arriving in Hong Kong at 8:47 AM and 7:29 AM. These routes operate four days a week, departing from three stations every night from Friday to Monday.
“It will be more comfortable and faster, cutting journey times by around half and covering a wider range of destinations, including popular tourist cities,” Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said in a press statement, referring to the existing night train route that connected Hong Kong with China's two largest cities.
Intercity rail services between Beijing–Kowloon and Shanghai–Kowloon began in 1997. The train ride to the Chinese capital took around 24 hours, and to Shanghai around 19 hours.
Jia Tianyong/China Press/VCG/Getty Images
A passenger with a child boards the inaugural high-speed sleeper train in Beijing to Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station.
These services were suspended during the 2020 pandemic and replaced with new, faster options that launched on June 15th.
But while the new line will indeed cut overnight travel times by almost half, the high-speed sleeper train will still take slightly longer than the existing daytime high-speed rail service that links Hong Kong with two cities on the mainland.
Currently, the railway company operates one high-speed train to Beijing every day, taking about 8.5 hours, and one high-speed train to Shanghai every day, taking about 7.5 hours.
So why take the long journey? The new sleeper trains may not be the fastest way to travel between Hong Kong and Beijing or Shanghai, but they are a great option for business travelers who need to arrive well-rested before their regular working day, and leisure travelers who don't want to waste an entire day on the train or want to save on accommodation costs.
The electric multiple unit (EMU) used for operation on each line has a total of 16 carriages, including 13 sleeper cars, 2 second-class coaches and 1 dining car.
There are three seating options available: second class seat (no bed), sleeper and deluxe sleeper.
The standard Sleeper Class cabin has two bunk beds and can accommodate four passengers, while the Deluxe version, currently only available on the Hong Kong-Shanghai route, features two bunk beds, a wardrobe and a sofa.
Fares range from HK$937 to HK$1,506 (US$120 to US$193) for the Hong Kong-Beijing route, and HK$682 to HK$2,128 (US$88 to US$273) for the Hong Kong-Shanghai route.
Passengers who wish to reserve seats can book tickets on China Railway's official ticketing website, 12306.cn. Note that for trains departing from Hong Kong, you should search for “hkwestkowloon”.
International travellers can also book through ticket sales platforms such as Trip.com or buy tickets directly at West Kowloon Station.
A joint immigration checkpoint inside West Kowloon station allows passengers to avoid additional screening when traveling to and from Hong Kong. However, travelers must hold a valid Chinese visa or travel document to board the train. (Hong Kong is part of China but is governed under a separate legal framework.)
Jia Tianyong/China Press/VCG/Getty Images
Each of the electric rail units (EMUs) used to operate the new night route will have one dining car.
The 26-kilometer Hong Kong High Speed ​​Rail, which opened in 2018, is part of the larger Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High Speed ​​Rail (XRL).
The Hong Kong section, costing more than $10.7 billion to build, will connect the city with China's 25,000-kilometer national high-speed rail network.
However, the project has sparked major controversy even before it opened, as it will be the first time that mainland Chinese law has jurisdiction within Hong Kong territory.
The enormous cost, speed restrictions (the Hong Kong section is shorter so the top speed is 200km/h, much slower than the standard 300km/h) and political influences all cast a pall over the new railway.
Controversy aside, the introduction of the Express Rail Link provides an alternative means of travelling via Hong Kong to major Chinese cities, avoiding China's notorious air delays.
Hong Kong Station currently offers direct flights to 78 destinations across China, with around 70,600 passengers using the route every day, according to official statistics.
