High-speed Rail Terminus Moving To Central Guangzhou

The SAR government confirmed on Thursday that there are plans to switch the mainland terminus of the cross-border express railway line from Guangzhou South to a station in the centre of the Guangdong capital.

The choice of Guangzhou South as the end station for the line had come in for strong criticism in Hong Kong, with many people saying its distance from the city centre defeated the purpose of having a new high-speed alternative to the old service, which while slower, takes people into central Guangzhou.

The plan to make Guangzhou Railway Station the future mainland terminus was uncovered after President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that there was a need to boost railway network connectivity within the Greater Bay Area.

The switch had been set out in a blueprint issued in July by the National Development and Reform Commission.

Responding to an RTHK enquiry, the SAR's Bureau for Transport and Housing confirmed the plan, but did not answer questions as to when it will be carried out, or whether Hong Kong will have to shoulder any of the costs involved.

"As far as we understand, the Guangzhou Municipal Government has in-principle approved the extension of the terminal of the Guangzhou- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (Hong Kong section) to Guangzhou Railway Station, which is closer to the downtown area of Guangzhou, to facilitate passengers to travel,” the bureau said.

Meanwhile, the bureau also confirmed that authorities are considering building a rail link between Hong Kong airport and Shenzhen, but said there is no concrete plan or timetable for this yet.