Direct high-speed railway linking Chengdu, Hong Kong to be launched from July 1

The direct high-speed railway (HSR) linking Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province and Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province has been extended to the West Kowloon Station of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and is set to start operation from July 1.

July 1 marks the 26th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and industry insiders said that the direct HSR train will bring new development opportunities to both Chengdu and the HKSAR.

The HSR route has 12 stops in Sichuan, Southwest China's Guizhou Province, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Guangdong Province, and ends in the HKSAR, the Sichuan government told the Global Times on Thursday.

The total travel time will be around 10 hours. Passengers can get on the HSR train on any stop along the route, and commence customs checks at the West Kowloon Station.

The HKSAR is Chengdu's largest source of overseas investment, in areas such as real estate, finance, trade and education.

In 2022, the number of HKSAR enterprises operating in Chengdu reached 1,520, with $1.26 billion invested in the local market. During the four months of 2023, 73 newly arrived enterprises from the HKSAR invested $453 million in Chengdu, said the Chengdu government.