港高鐵六個月載客突破1600萬人次 創歷史新高

In response to rising demand, MTR Corp teams up with Plaza Premium Group to open upgraded business-class lounge at West Kowloon terminus Travellers at the departure hall of the West Kowloon terminus. Demand was driven by the growing number of Hongkongers travelling to Shenzhen and beyond for leisure. Photo: Elson Li Hong Kong’s cross-border high-speed rail link carried more than 16 million passengers in the first six months of the year – the highest since its debut in 2018 – prompting the introduction of new facilities to meet demand. The MTR Corporation, which operates the 26km (16-mile) Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, said on Thursday that patronage rose by more than 10 per cent year on year to over 16 million in the first six months, with average daily trips exceeding 92,000. The company said demand had been driven by the growing number of Hongkongers travelling to Shenzhen and beyond for leisure, with passenger flows generally higher on weekends and public holidays, especially during long breaks. A single-day all-time high of nearly 150,000 trips was recorded on April 4 this year during the Easter and Ching Ming Festival holiday. Michael Tien Puk-sun, a former chairman of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, said the future of the MTR Corp would have “a lot to do” with cross-border traffic, noting that domestic routes might not necessarily win business away from buses and other competitors because of affordability. “So, the cross-boundary [business] is most ideal for the MTR – cross-boundary [passengers] are all new customers,” he said, adding that the company had greater growth potential. Crowds gather at the West Kowloon terminus at the start of the five-day Easter and Ching Ming holiday on April 4. Photo: Jelly Tse In response to rising demand, the MTR Corp teamed up with Plaza Premium Group to open an upgraded business-class lounge at the West Kowloon terminus on Wednesday. The lounge spans about 8,600 sq ft and provides roughly 200 seats, along with charging points for devices, Wi-fi and complimentary refreshments. The MTR Corp has also streamlined ticket checking, immigration clearance and boarding procedures to 90 minutes before train departure, down from 120 minutes. It has also upgraded seating areas across three levels of the station and enhanced complimentary Wi-fi. The station now provides direct services to 113 mainland destinations. Additionally, 13 extra pairs of trains will run between West Kowloon and Futian stations on weekends from July 25 to August 23 to meet summer travel demand. Unhandled type: inline-plus-widget {"type":"inline-plus-widget"}