SHENZHEN Customs said it has set up a preparatory team for the opening of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) scheduled for Sept. 23, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.

According to a person in charge, Shenzhen Customs has selected some of its most experienced staffers to prepare for the inspection work at the mainland port at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, the terminus of the XRL.

The preparatory team has carried out drills on dealing with routine practices, equipment operations and emergencies, to get fully prepared, according to Shenzhen Customs.

The mainland port area will be managed according to the laws of the Chinese mainland and a co-location arrangement, which was adopted by a bimonthly session of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee last December.

The Hong Kong section of the XRL, which will offer direct services from Hong Kong to 44 mainland destinations, is set to start operations Sept. 23. Final preparations are being made for the opening of the Hong Kong section of the XRL.

Ticket sales for travelers on the XRL from Hong Kong to the mainland will start Sept. 10.

Travelers can purchase tickets at the West Kowloon station with various payment methods, such as Octopus, Alipay and WeChat Wallet, according to a Sunday report by DT News, a news app of the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, quoting MTR Operation Director Lau Tin-shing. (Zhang Qian)