Latest news with #EastRail
Time Out
6 days ago
- Time Out
The new Huanggang Port is set to be completed this year
Of the various land crossings between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, arguably the most worn and underrated is the Huanggang port. But this checkpoint is due to get a new facelift, with Shenzhen authorities confirming that the project is expected to reach completion within this year. The Huanggang port is the first and only 24-hour passenger checkpoint between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and has been in the process of reconstruction since 2019. This is the first time that we've had official confirmation about the new port's anticipated timeline. Over the years, travellers have veered towards the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau checkpoints since they're more straightforward and linked directly to the MTR. In contrast, Huanggang has always been a little more annoying to navigate, as one would need to go through immigration board a bus, alight after a short ride to go through another immigration checkpoint, before finding and getting back on the same bus. The upside is that it is open around the clock, and since it runs on coach services, travellers will always be able to get a seat. Thankfully, the upcoming remodel is also bringing new checkpoint arrangements. Travellers will only need to go through one round of inspection and customs clearance, replacing the original system which required two checks in both the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese sides. This 'co-location arrangement' means that the clearance process can be dialled down from approximately 30 minutes to a mere five minutes. Without the need for two separate spaces, the redesigned Huanggang port will also be dramatically reduced in size, and the land that will be freed up has been bookmarked for a 'collaborative innovation zone' for developing an 'international talent community', with 180,000 sq m of living spaces with healthcare and education facilities. And if you've never been a fan of the coaches? The new Huanggang port will be connected to Hong Kong's Northern Link spur line that connects the East Rail and Tuen Ma lines, as well as Shenzhen's Metro Line 7. According to the current timeline, the new port will begin operations in 2026. Who's ready for easier trips to cheap food and massages? Hue Dining and Ink Cafe are closing down at the end of June
South China Morning Post
18-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
Crowds pack Hong Kong border crossings as 250,000 leave city for Easter holiday
Crowds have thronged Hong Kong's border crossings as hundreds of thousands of residents seeking good food and affordable activities queued up to leave the city on the first day of the Easter holiday. Advertisement More than 254,000 people had left the city as of 10am on Friday, about 241,000 of whom were residents. To cope with crowd control measures at the Lo Wu checkpoint, some East Rail line trains departing from Admiralty terminated at the earlier Tai Po Market stop instead of border terminuses Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau. Thousands of travellers flocked to the West Kowloon station departure gates for high-speed rail services at 9.30am, with the winding queue taking up more than half of the hall. The Post observed that the waiting area where passengers prepared to board their trains was even more crowded. The area remained packed at 10.50am, with the departure hall crowd dropping to several hundred. The crowd was made up of travellers of all ages, but many were middle-aged people and retirees joining package tours to various destinations in Guangdong province and beyond. Advertisement Wong Yuk-lin, a retiree in her seventies, told the Post she was going on a six-day tour to Chongqing with her friends. 'The timing is right [for this trip]. It's a public holiday, so it's easier to come up with dates among friends,' she said.
South China Morning Post
18-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
Crowds pack Hong Kong land checkpoints as 250,000 leave city for Easter holiday
Crowds have thronged Hong Kong's various border crossings as hundreds of thousands of residents looking for good food and affordable holiday activities queued up to leave the city on the first day of the Easter weekend. Advertisement As of 10am, over 254,000 people had left Hong Kong. To cope with crowd control measures at the Lo Wu checkpoint, some East Rail line trains departing from Admiralty would terminate at Tai Po Market instead of border terminuses Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau. At the West Kowloon high speed railway station, a crowd of thousands filled the departure gates at 9.30am, occupying over half of the hall fenced off for the winding queue. The Post observed that the waiting area where passengers prepared to board their trains was even more crowded. The area remained jam-packed at 10.50am, with the departure hall crowd dropping to several hundred. There were travellers across age groups, but many were middle-aged people and retirees joining package tours to various destinations in Guangdong province and beyond. Advertisement Wong Yuk-lin, a retiree in her 70s, told the Post she was going on a six-day tour to Chongqing with her friends. 'The timing is right [for this trip]. It's a public holiday, so it's easier to come up with dates among friends,' she said.
South China Morning Post
07-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's MTR Corp to be fined at least HK$1 million for 7-hour disruption
Published: 2:13pm, 7 Feb 2025 Hong Kong's rail operator will be fined at least HK$1 million (US$128,400) for a severe service disruption that lasted more than seven hours, while a transport official has pushed back against calls for a review of the penalty mechanism following the delays. Authorities confirmed the fine on Friday during a panel meeting in the legislature to discuss the disruption to East Rail line services earlier in the week. Jeny Yeung Mei-chun, a managing director of the MTR Corporation, apologised again on behalf of the company. A faulty sensor left an engineer's train sitting stationary on the tracks near Tai Wo MTR station on Wednesday. All southbound and northbound trains passing through the station were required to use the same platform to let passengers alight and board. Passengers were forced to wait on platforms for up to 24 minutes between services as workers scrambled to conduct repairs. Yeung said the engineer's train weighed nearly 80 tonnes. The amount was double the weight of normal passenger trains, making the removal more difficult and extending the delay.
