Ayra Wang
Some 600 passengers, including Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung, arrived in Beijing yesterday morning after taking the first high-speed rail sleeper train.
Lam said he “enjoyed a good sleep” during the 12-hour journey and that Hong Kong will communicate with mainland authorities to add more trains and expand the service to northwest China.
”After I woke up at 5.30am, I had a view of the surrounding scenery and drank a cup of coffee in the dining car, which I don’t get to experience [on airplanes],” he said.
Lam said the trains departing Hong Kong at night and arriving in Shanghai or Beijing in the morning will provide passengers with a fresh experience.
Lam also met with officials from China Railway along with representatives from Hong Kong’s high-speed rail operator MTR Corp to discuss how to further enhance railway services of the Hong Kong section in Beijing.
Passengers said they enjoyed the trip on the sleeper train despite some noise.
University student Leung, who joined a 25-member group to Beijing for a summer internship program, said she had a good sleep.
”I went to bed at around midnight and woke up at 5am. I slept through the night though there was some noise from next door,” Leung said, adding that she felt fresh when getting off the train.
Five lawmakers took the train to Beijing, including Ben Chan Han-pan, who hoped the sleeper train would attract more tourists to Hong Kong and enhance people-to-people exchange between the city and the mainland.
Chan said he hopes more sleeper classes could be introduced to trains to Beijing as, currently, sleepers to and from Beijing only have a four-person room, while the ones to and from Shanghai have deluxe rooms for two.
Tourism sector lawmaker Perry Yiu Pak-leung said the experience was “wonderful.”
Yiu added: “The tourism sector will strive to develop more high-speed rail related products, hoping that tourists will get used to this traveling mode and more cities can be connected to Hong Kong by sleeper trains.”
However, he suggested adjusting the timetable as the train to Beijing departs from Hong Kong at around 6pm, which is too early for some people who work in offices.
The first sleeper train arrived in Shanghai yesterday morning at Shanghai Hongqiao railway station, with Undersecretary for Transport and Logistics Liu Chun-san on board.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung was at the West Kowloon Station to give out souvenirs to passengers arriving in Hong Kong on the sleeper train from Beijing and Shanghai. He said passengers had a positive response to the service, which helps tourists better organize their itinerary and in turn help boost Hong Kong’s tourism.
Tourist Wang said taking the sleeper is cost-effective compared to flying as it saves them half a day.
MTR chief executive Jacob Kam Chak-pui said the sleeper train service has “received overwhelming responses.”
He also said MTRC hopes to provide more travel options during the summer break.
Kam added the company will consider the demands first before talking to mainland authorities.
ayra.wang@singtaonewscorp.com