Fares from Hong Kong to Guangzhou on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-speed rail line to open in the third quarter this year will be set at HK$260 ($33) per trip, according to Frank Chan Fan, secretary for Transport and Housing of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). 

The announcement was made by the secretary on Jan 15 after his meeting with officials of the China Railway Corporation in Beijing to discuss issues of train scheduling and ticket prices of the high-speed rail link.

Frank Chan Fan, secretary for Transport and Housing of HKSAR, reveals on Jan 15 that the express rail fares from HK to Guangzhou will be $33. [Photo/Chinanews.com] 

Fares from West Kowloon to Futian in Shenzhen, Shenzhen North and Humen in Dongguan city will be set at HK$80 ($10), HK$90 ($11.5), and HK$210 ($27) respectively.

The 48-minute journey from West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong to Guangzhou South Railway Station will cost HK$50 more than the existing cross-border through-train service from Hung Hom to Guangzhou East which takes approximately two hours.

Compared with travelling to Guangzhou by through-train, the high-speed rail link is attractive because of speed, level of comfort and time, according to Chan.

"It will attract businesspeople and others seeking a faster and more comfortable journey."

The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-speed rail line Hong Kong section is scheduled to open to traffic in the third quarter this year. [Photo/WeChat Account nandusz]

There will be 228 trains, or 114 pairs, running daily between Hong Kong and the four mainland stations on 130 peak days a year, the transport minister said. Thirty pairs will go to Guangzhou South Station and Humen Station in Dongguan, with the remaining 84 terminating at Futian Station or Shenzhen North Station.