High speed trains connecting Hong Kong with Shantou and Zhaoqing in Guangdong province were put into operation on July 10, the first day of the new national train schedule.

Shantou - Hong Kong

One pair of direct high speed trains run between Hong Kong and Shantou every day. Covering about 370 kilometers, the trains take 188 to 203 minutes to complete the journey.

Train G6390 (and G6391) to Hong Kong West Kowloon station leaves Shantou at 5:59 p.m. It passes through Chaoshan, Lufeng, Huizhou, and Shenzhen. The return train, G6392 (and G6389), leaves at 2:14 p.m. and arrives in Shantou at 5:37 p.m.

The ticket fare for a second class seat is 192 yuan, while a first class seat is 307 yuan.

Zhaoqing - Hong Kong

The trip between Hong Kong and Zhaoqing takes 80 to 120 minutes on the new train. Two pairs of high speed trains run between Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station and Zhaoqing East Railway Station each day. Ticket fare for a business seat is 715.5 yuan, a first class seat 382 yuan, and a second class seat 238.5 yuan.

Passengers arriving at Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station must get blue magnetic paper tickets before boarding, and make sure to bring valid exit documents and endorsement.

Under the new national train schedule, Hong Kong West Kowloon Station is connected with 58 mainland cities via high-speed rail. These 14 new stations include Zhaoqing, Shantou and Foshan stations in Guangdong province, and others in Chongqing, Tianjin, Nanning, Handan, Hengyang and Wuzhou. (BY :Annie Lee, Louis Berney)