MTR Corp offers sweeteners to get all aboard for expanded mainland China service

Hong Kong’s high-speed rail network is launching a limited-time “buy one, get one free” offer for tickets to Shenzhen’s Futian from Tuesday in celebration of its service expanding to 110 destinations in mainland China. The limited-time offer coincides with the launch of 16 new mainland destinations, including stops at major eastern hubs such as Nanjing, Wuxi and Hefei, on Monday. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan, who spoke at an opening ceremony for the expanded service, hailed the move as a “new milestone” for public transport, emphasising the role it would play in strengthening the city’s ties with the mainland. “With West Kowloon station now linked to the mainland’s massive high-speed rail network, it will encourage Hong Kong residents and tourists alike to travel across the length and breadth of the country, embodying Hong Kong’s role as a ‘superconnector’,” she said. To celebrate the expanded service, the MTR Corporation said its buy one, get one free deal for trips between West Kowloon and Futian stations would be available from Tuesday to customers using online platforms such as HopeGoo, Klook and Trip.com. The rail giant said the offer was only available while stocks lasted. Customers could also enjoy a HK$20 (US$2.60) discount for tickets between Hong Kong and Guangzhounan if they booked using designated travel agents, it added. At the opening ceremony, Chan said local authorities were set to announce a new railway standard that incorporated mainland construction expertise. The move was intended to ensure Hong Kong “kept pace with the times” and moved in lockstep with the rest of the Greater Bay Area, the wider country and the international community, with a long-term focus on increasing speed, enhancing efficiency and reducing costs, she said. In addition to major eastern hubs on the mainland, the new destinations include stops in Guangdong, Fujian and Hunan provinces. Monday morning also saw the first tour groups depart from Hong Kong for Shanghai Hongqiao station, with the journey including stops at Hefei and Nanjing. Ben Leung, a 50-year-old construction worker, said he and his wife were joining the inaugural tour as part of a five-day getaway. “I hope to take a short, relaxing trip a bit further away before Lunar New Year, just to have a quick look around and enjoy the food. After all, the train trip takes seven to eight hours,” he said. “At HK$3,000 per person including round-trip tickets, the tour is priced quite reasonably, considering a one-way ticket alone costs HK$1,018.” MTR Corp CEO Jeny Yeung Mei-chun, meanwhile, hailed the expansion as a significant enhancement of cross-boundary travel, adding that the high-speed sleeper service to Shanghai Hongqiao station would go from running only on weekends to being daily. “We believe this can further play an important role in facilitating the flow of people and economic integration,” she said. “We hope to collaborate with the tourism industry to continue promoting the unique features of high-speed rail travel, and at the same time, we look forward to welcoming visitors from these new destinations to Hong Kong.”