On 15 January, it was the first anniversary of the resumption of the operation of the Hong Kong-Futian section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL). According to the Shenzhen railway administration, throughout the last year, the XRL has transported 10.856 million passengers from the Mainland to Hong Kong and 10.413 million passengers from Hong Kong to the Mainland. 5.767 million passengers were carried from Shenzhen to Hong Kong, with a daily average of 15,800, whereas 5.405 million traveled from Hong Kong to Shenzhen, with a daily average of 14,800. As of 14 January, the XRL's Same-day Flexi-trip Arrangement has serviced over 70,000 passengers.
According to reports, the number of XRL trains in service has gradually increased from 77 trains per day at the start of operations to 190 trains per day now, and Hong Kong currently has direct access to more than 30 cities on the Mainland, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xiamen, Changsha, Wuhan, and others, via the XRL. During the 2023 Hong Kong Christmas and 2024 New Year's Day holidays, the railway authorities operated 22 additional XRL trains between Shenzhen and Hong Kong on a daily basis, resulting in a daily average of more than 200 trains. At the same time, after riding the XRL to Shenzhen, Hong Kong residents may reach other sections of the nation through XRL hub stations such as Shenzhen North and Futian, making it easier for Hong Kong residents to travel to and from the Mainland and providing additional travel options.
"Over the last year, in order to improve the travel experience of cross-border travelers and to better serve Shenzhen and Hong Kong travelers, the Shenzhen North Railway Station has carried out comprehensive upgrades of hardware and software facilities and equipment, optimized the flow of travelers in and out of the station, and perfected the station's guidance system, allowing travelers to travel more smoothly." The relevant person in charge of Shenzhen Station stated that Futian Station upgraded the software of the station's gates and switched from optical identification of documents to rapid electronic identification, allowing the gates to read Hong Kong and Macao EEPs more quickly. The new station building at Humen Station was formally opened on September 26 of last year, significantly improving the waiting environment for travelers.
As the XRL has become a significant form of transportation for individuals traveling between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the railway authorities implemented the Same-day Flexi-trip Arrangement on August 14, 2023. To ensure transport safety, a limited quantity of "Seatless Tickets" will be made available for travelers to use while they make adjustments to their train travels under the Same-day Flexi-trip Arrangement.The implementation of the Same-day Flexi-trip Arrangement has enabled travelers on both sides of the border with more flexible and easy travel alternatives, providing them more time for work and life while also fostering the development of a bi-city quality living environment between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. As of 14 January, the "FlexiTravel" offering has serviced more than 70,000 travelers.
Furthermore, to better serve cross-border XRL passengers and make travel more comfortable, the "Spring Flower" service team at Shenzhen North Station and Futian Station, as well as the "Wisdom" service team at Huizhou North Station, are equipped with first-aid medical kits, wheelchairs, free telephones, and caring umbrellas to meet their occasional needs. Humen Station's "Little Tiger" service team offers one-stop pick-up and drop-off services for vital customers in the station area, allowing for smooth integration of passengers' multi-modal travel. Over the last year, Shenzhen-area stations have serviced more over 29,000 key passengers, including over 1,000 cross-border travelers.
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