STARTING today, Shenzhen North Station will launch a new high-speed rail loop connecting major cities in eastern Guangdong.

Trains D9720/17 and D9718/9, operating only on peak travel days, depart from and return to Shenzhen North Station, passing through Huizhou, Shanwei, Chaozhou, Meizhou, and Heyuan. The journey takes between five hours and 15 minutes and around six hours.

Additionally, trains Z8006/7 and Z8008/5, currently running between Shenzhen and Haikou (capital of Hainan Province), will be extended further to Sanya in Hainan. The trains will operate daily.

Situated in the southern tip of Hainan, the attraction-studded Sanya is an international tourist destination renowned for its tropical scenery and coastal landscapes.

Train Z8006/7 from Shenzhen to Sanya departs from Shenzhen East Station at 6:42 p.m., passing through Guangzhou, Maoming, Zhanjiang, and Haikou, and arrives at Sanya Station at 1:10 p.m. the following day, with a total travel time of 18 hours and 28 minutes.

Train Z8008/5 from Sanya Station to Shenzhen East Station departs at 12:06 p.m. and arrives in Shenzhen at 6:22 a.m. the following day.

The trains will cross the Qiongzhou Strait, the waterway that separates Guangdong from Hainan Island, via a giant ferry. This will offer train passengers a unique experience of traveling at sea.

(Han Ximin)