PR100190

CHENGDU, China, June 30, 2023 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--

On July 1st, China's high-speed railway will launch a direct route between

Chengdu and Hong Kong. The train departs from the Chengdudong Railway Station

at 8:48 am, passes through Leshan, Yibin, Guiyang, Guilin, Foshan, Guangzhou,

Shenzhen and other places, and then arrives at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station

at 18:55 pm, with the whole journey lasting approximately 10 hours and 7

minutes. In terms of the other direction, the departure time from Hong Kong is

10:08 am, and the arrival time in Chengdu is 19:53 pm, with the duration of the

entire journey lasting about 9 hours and 45 minutes.

According to China Railway Chengdu Bureau Group Co., Ltd., in order to ensure

smooth transition of operation, Chengdudong Railway Station has optimized

semi-self-service ticket gates and other equipment in the complex to ensure the

normal use of the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents.

Passenger service attendants of the Chengdu section of the Chengdu-Hong Kong

high-speed railway route have undergone special Cantonese training, so that the

crew members can quickly master basic Cantonese. Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily

reported that the train will facilitate the exchange of people traveling

between Hong Kong and the Mainland.

Located in western China, Chengdu is well-known as a sanctuary of the

endangered species of the giant panda. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda

Breeding is home to the world's largest captive-bred giant panda population. As

a core city of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, a national-level urban

agglomeration, Chengdu has a permanent population of over 21 million, and has

succeeded into one of the fastest-growing cities in China in recent years.

Chengdu and Hong Kong have fostered long-standing and in-depth cooperation in

various fields such as finance, culture and tourism, and urban construction. In

2022, there were 1,520 Hong Kong enterprises in Chengdu, and injected 1.259

billion U.S. dollars in foreign direct investment (FDI) in Chengdu. From

January to April 2023, 73 new Hong Kong enterprises have established in

Chengdu, with a foreign direct investment of 453 million U.S. dollars.

Direct boarding and customs clearance in Hong Kong, and the opening of the

high-speed rail line provide passengers traveling between Chengdu and Hong Kong

with yet another travel option. At the same time, this linkage further advances

the flow of people as well as economic and trade exchanges between the two

sides, reinvigorating the rapid development of the regional economy.

On July 28th, the 31st FISU Summer World University Games will be held in

Chengdu, which is the first time for a city in western China to host a world

comprehensive event. The opening of the "Chengdu-Hong Kong" high-speed rail

line may provide a new path for people to participate in this sports festival.

Source: China Railway Chengdu Bureau Group Co., Ltd.