SHENZHEN will improve bus arrangements at Shenzhen North Railway Station and Futian high-speed train station for the convenience of commuters between Shenzhen and Hong Kong after the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Link is put into operation, sznews.com quoted Shenzhen’s rail office as saying yesterday.

MTR Corporation, the operator of the 26-km Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway, said Friday that the Hong Kong section will start its trial run April 1, as over 99 percent of it has been completed.

One-fourth of Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Station on the rail will be designated as a Mainland Port Area with related national laws applied. It will allow both Hong Kong and mainland authorities to go through customs checks in one-go.

The high-speed trains are named Vibrant Express. The rail, which covers 142 kilometers between Guangzhou and Hong Kong, is scheduled to open in the third season of the year. It has nine stations and the trips from Kowloon to Futian high-speed train station and Shenzhen North Railway Station will be shortened to 14 minutes and 23 minutes, respectively.

As a result of the arrangements, Hong Kong will join the nation’s 25,000-km high-speed rail network.

Tickets will be priced at HK$80, 90, 210 and 260 (US$10.19, 11.47, 26.76 and 33.13) to travel from Hong Kong to Futian high-speed train station, Shenzhen North Railway Station, Dongguan’s Humen Railway Station, and Guangzhou South Railway Station, respectively.

Fares are more competitive for the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed train than for the Guangzhou-Hong Kong Through Train, as the high-speed railway holds advantages in speed, comfort and travel time.

In the initial stage, 114 pairs of high-speed trains will be put into operation during the 130-day peak travel period, which includes mainland and Hong Kong public holidays, as well as July and August summer vacation. Eighty-four pairs of trains will terminate at the Futian station or Shenzhen North Railway Station and the remaining 30 pairs will terminate at either Humen Railway Station or Guangzhou South Railway Station.

The number of the high-speed trains will be increased or reduced according to traffic volume. (Han Ximin)