Excited Hong Kong passengers ride on new high-speed sleeper train to Shanghai, Beijing

HONG KONG – On June 15, inside the dining car of high-speed sleeper D910 train from Hong Kong to Beijing, crew members were presenting passengers a spectacular performance of Peking Opera, which was met with loud applause.

High-speed sleeper trains linking Beijing and Shanghai with Hong Kong began operations on June 15. The new train service runs between Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Station and Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station or Beijing West Railway Station every Friday to Monday.

Mr Sung Jik Tung, a student from the University of Hong Kong, was one of the passengers on the first high-speed sleeper train to Beijing. He and 15 other Hong Kong students were going to Beijing for artificial intelligence training for about a month.

He told Xinhua that he was very excited to be on the train’s maiden trip to Beijing.

Having the sleeper trains stop at Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Station enables passengers to travel between different destinations across the country with ease and convenience.

“It was convenient and it saved us a lot of time, and also we could walk less, which was very friendly to middle-aged and elderly people,” a Hong Kong passenger surnamed Ho said.

On the D908 train bound for Shanghai, a Hong Kong passenger surnamed Wan and his family were full of expectations for the trip.

Mr Wan said taking an overnight train would not affect the children, who have to go to school, and the adults, to work on June 17. “When the children heard that they were going to spend the night on the train, they were very excited.”

Mr Gary Zhang, chairman of the Hong Kong Legislative Council’s Sub-committee on Matters Relating to Railways, was also on the D908 train.

He said that the overnight train service provides business people with extra travelling options, improves the efficiency of business exchanges between Shanghai and Hong Kong, and helps Hong Kong better integrate with the overall development of the country.

“The train today is nearly full, which is both gratifying and challenging for us. We hope to provide quality service to our passengers,” Mr Ma Shuang, chief attendant on the D910 train bound for Beijing West Railway Station, said.

The new train service has also added several stations along the route, including Shijiazhuang, Changsha South, Guangzhou, Shenzhen north and Hangzhou East.

On June 16, passengers got off the high-speed sleeper D909 train bound for Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Station and went straight to the M+ Museum and the Hong Kong Palace Museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District.

Ms Becky Ip, deputy executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said that the cultural atmosphere in West Kowloon allowed visitors to experience a different Hong Kong and unique charm of the city’s arts and culture. XINHUA