A Hong Kong street view
Traveling between Hong Kong and mainland China should be easier since the Hong Kong – mainland China high-speed trains officially began running from September 23rd, 2018. Now you can taste authentic Hong Kong dim sums and enjoy the unique street views in just a few hours’ train journey from mainland China.
The Hong Kong high-speed railway lines operate trains to 44 mainland cities. All the trains from/to Hong Kong depart/arrive at a newly built train station called Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station.
The traditional Hong Kong dim sum
Currently, passengers have the option to buy the high-speed train tickets online or at the station.
In this article, we have provided you with the Hong Kong high-speed train routes, details about the on-train facilities, and information about how to purchase your tickets. Here is a quick navigation guide to take you quickly to the parts you are interested in:
Basic Information about Hong Kong High-Speed Trains
- Operational: since September 23rd, 2018
- Hong Kong high-speed train station: Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station
- Speed: 300–350 kph; 200 kph after entering Hong Kong
Hong Kong – Mainland China High-Speed Train Routes
The Hong Kong high-speed trains operate to/from over 40 stations in mainland China. They are:
Guangzhou South, Guangmingcheng, Qingsheng, Shenzhen North, Humen, Futian, Beijing West, Shijiazhuang, Changsha South, Hengyang East, Zhuzhou West, Zhengzhou East, Chenzhou West, Wuhan, Shaoguan, Shanghai Hongqiao, Shangrao, Hangzhou East, Nanchang West, Jinhua, Kunming South, Guiyang North, Guilin West, Fuzhou, Raoping, Putian, Chaoshan, Quanzhou, Chaoyang, Xiamen, Puning, Xiamen North, Lufeng, Jiaomei, Shanwei, Zhangzhou, Huidong, Yunxiao, Huizhou South, Zhao’an, and Shenzhen Pingshan.
Here are the journey times for the main stations that the Hong Kong high-speed trains go to:
| Routes | Arrival Station | Duration | 2nd Class Fare (CNY) |
| HK–Futian (Shenzhen) | Futian Railway Station | 15 min | 68 |
| HK–Shenzhen | Shenzhen North Railway Station | 19 min | 75 |
| HK–Humen | Humen Railway Station | 40 min | 178 |
| HK–Guangzhou | Guangzhou South Railway Station | 50 min | 215 |
| HK–Xiamen | Xiamen Railway Station | 4 h | 258.5 |
| HK–Guilin | Guilin West Railway Station | 3 h 19 min | 379 |
| HK–Changsha | Changsha South Railway Station | 3 h 20 min | 529 |
| HK–Nanchang | Nanchang West Railway Station | 4 h 50 min | 687 |
| HK–Guiyang | Guiyang North Railway Station | 5 h 31 min | 538 |
| HK–Fuzhou | Fuzhou Railway Station | 5 h 40 min | 339.5 |
| HK–Wuhan | Wuhan Railway Station | 4 h 33 min | 678.5 |
| HK–Kunming | Kunming South Railway Station | 7 h 38 min | 750.5 |
| HK–Hangzhou | Hangzhou East Railway Station | 7 h 25 min | 935 |
| HK–Zhengzhou | Zhengzhou East Railway Station | 6 h 20 min | 868 |
| HK–Shanghai | Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station | 8 h 17 min | 1,008 |
| HK–Shijiazhuang | Shijiazhuang Railway Station | 7 h 45 min | 1,000.5 |
| HK–Beijing | Beijing West Railway Station | 8 h 56 min | 1,077 |
For all the timetables relating to all the mainland China cities, please check on our China Train Booking app . Its timetables are synchronized with China Railway and are updated every second.
The On-Train Facilities of Hong Kong High-Speed Trains
The first class seat carriage on Vibrant Express
There are two types of trains running between HK and mainland China: Hexie Hao and a new bullet train named“Vibrant Express”. "Vibrant Express" is created especially for trains running between Guangdong Province and Hong Kong. Its interior design is different from the other high-speed trains, the seats are colorful and the carriage is bright. There are only 79 vibrant expresses running per day, so if you want to experience this new bullet train, please make sure you choose the right train number when purchasing the ticket(s). The trains without the business class seat is Vibrant Express.
Here are the differences between Vibrant Express and other high-speed trains:
- The train signs are written in simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and English.
- Each train has eight cars, and only car no.1, 3, 5, 7 have toilets
- There are two kinds of toilets: normal-toilets and toilets for handicap passengers. The handicap toilets are capacious and equipped with a diaper changing table. All the toilets are using western-style toilets.
- Each seat is equipped with two sockets(suitable for plugs from Hong Kong and mainland China), a folding tray, and a magazine rack. The back of the seat can be adjusted.
- Wi-Fi is available on the train throughout the whole journey, however, the speed is not very fast
- Only two seat classes to choose: 1st class and 2nd class.
A first-class seat is equipped with a footrest pedal, an earphone jack for the public TV, and an independent reading lamp. There are four seats per row.
A second-class seat is also soft and cozy, and there are five seats per row.
A second-class seat car on Vibrant Express
How to Buy a Hong Kong High-Speed Train Ticket
It is a little difficult to understand the rules for purchasing Hong Kong high-speed train tickets because the policies are very complicated.
The ways to buy the tickets in HK are different from buying them in mainland China, as are the ways to collect your tickets, which depend on your travel route (Hong Kong to the mainland or the mainland to Hong Kong).
Here, we’ve provided a detailed explanation of how to buy and collect a Hong Kong high-speed train ticket.
Buy/Collect Your Tickets in Mainland China
The ways to buy Hong Kong high-speed train tickets are the same as those for buying other train tickets in China. Foreigners can buy/book their train tickets via:
- A railway station or a ticket outlet
- The official website of China Railway
- China Railway’s hotline
- English service platforms
See the detailed steps for buying train tickets in mainland China: How to Buy a China Train Ticket.
Similarly, the ways to collect tickets are the same as those for collecting train tickets in mainland China: How to Collect Train Tickets in China .
- No extra service fee if you collect at the departure station in the mainland.
- If you collect the tickets you booked via mainland platforms in Hong Kong, you need to pay an extra fee for each ticket:
- Ticket fare≤200 yuan: 10 HKD per ticket
- Ticket fare 200 - 300 yuan: 20 HKD per ticket
- Ticket fare≥300: 30 HKD per ticket
- In conclusion, we recommend you collect all your tickets once in mainland China if you buy them via mainland ticket website (12306) or agencies.
Buy/Collect Your Tickets in Hong Kong
The ticket windows at HK West Kowloon Station
There are two official ways of buying/booking Hong Kong high-speed train tickets: buy them at Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station or book them via MTR’s official website.
- Buy your tickets at Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station: Foreigners need to go to the ticket windows to purchase their tickets (the automatic machines are not available for foreigners) and the original passports are needed when buying the tickets. You can pay the ticket fare using cash, Octopus card (a universal payment card used in HK), or by credit card.
- Book the tickets via MTR’s website: It’s the official website of MTR (HK’s biggest railway transit system) and the web address is: www.mtr.com.hk/
The website language can be switched to Chinese or English, and you book your tickets by inputting the information on your passport (name and passport number). A Visa card, Mastercard, or China UnionPay can be used to pay the ticket fare.
To collect your tickets, please take your collection number (it’s a series of numbers and letter(s) you will receive after successfully making payment) and original passport to the ticket window at Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station.
- No extra service fee for collecting your tickets at Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station.
- You can’t collect your ticket(s) in mainland China if you booked it/them via MTR.
Skip all the complicated steps and policies by using our China Train Booking app — you just need to choose the train and we will deal with all the troublesome details for you, and have your tickets delivered right to your address. You can also pay your booking via foreign credit cards, PayPal, Alipay, and WeChat Pay.
A Mainland China – Hong Kong high-speed train ticket
Here is a train ticket sample from Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station to Guangzhou South Railway Station. You can find all your boarding information (train number, waiting section, seat number, etc.) on the ticket to board the train quickly.
Points to Note
- Child fares: A child with a height of under 120 cm can take the train for free provided he/she is accompanied by an adult. A child whose height is between 120 and 150 cm can travel at a discounted rate.
- The tickets are priced in CNY but you need to pay with HKD if you buy/book your tickets in Hong Kong. This means the ticket fare in Hong Kong may fluctuate from time to time.
- We recommend you book your Hong Kong – mainland China tickets in advance because the tickets are in short supply but great demand. It is recommended to book online at least 15 days before the departure date.
- The online presale time is 30 days before the departure date.
- If all the Hong Kong high-speed train tickets are sold out, to secure your journey you can also choose to take normal-speed trains between mainland China and Hong Kong.
- There are two train stations in Hong Kong. One is called Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station and it only serves high-speed trains. The other is called Hung Hom Railway Station, which only serves normal-speed trains. Please make sure you go to the right station.
- If you want to book your Hong Kong high-speed train tickets online, please note that the ways of buying via mainland China’s website and MTR’s website are different, so are the ticket collection ways.
Alternatively, you can choose the delivery service for all your train tickets to be delivered direct to your hotel/domicile if you book your Hong Kong high-speed train tickets via our China Train Booking app:
Our train schedules are synchronized with China Railway and the data is updated second by second. Why not book now and get your Hong Kong high-speed train tickets within 3 minutes!
