Hong Kong’s cross-boundary rail network is about to receive its biggest expansion since services resumed in 2023. MTR Corporation confirmed that, from 26 January 2026, sixteen additional mainland stations will be served directly from West Kowloon Station. The new stops—including Nanjing South, Wuxi East, Hefei South, Chaozhou, Xiamen North and Fuzhou—lift the total number of mainland destinations reachable without interchange to 110. The enhancement is timed for the Year-of-the-Horse Golden Week, when cross-border traffic traditionally surges.
For business travellers, the headline change is connectivity into the Yangtze River Delta. Daily sleeper services to Shanghai Hongqiao will increase from four round trips a week to three departures every night, giving executives an overnight alternative to red-eye flights. Frequency on the core Hong Kong-Guangzhou South corridor will jump to 24 round trips per day, while additional stops on the Chaoshan and Fuzhou routes will shave up to 20 minutes off journey times. MTR says it is coordinating with mainland railway authorities to ensure through-ticketing and Wi-Fi roaming are in place before launch.
Before setting off, travellers should remember that most mainland cities still require appropriate entry documentation. VisaHQ’s Hong Kong team (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) can secure China business visas, residence permits and multiple-entry passes on an expedited basis, letting corporate travel managers track every application online and avoid last-minute scrambles during Golden Week and other peak periods.
![West Kowloon high-speed rail to add 16 new mainland destinations before Lunar New Year]()
The expansion reflects relentless demand. West Kowloon handled 30,000 cross-boundary passengers per day on average in 2025, but Lunar New Year peaks regularly topped 70,000. Tourism researchers at Polytechnic University estimate the extra stations could add HK$1.2 billion in visitor spending during the eight-day holiday, as more second-tier cities gain seamless access to Hong Kong retail and hospitality. Corporate mobility managers point out that high-speed rail also offers Mainland staff a visa-free, point-to-point alternative to short-haul flights that still require airport security and longer immigration lines.
Operationally, Immigration Department sources say additional e-Channel kiosks will be opened in West Kowloon’s arrival hall, with queuing space re-striped to cope with an expected 25 per cent spike in family travellers. MTR will also pilot real-time crowd alerts in its mobile app, advising travellers when to arrive for boarding. In the medium term, the corporation plans to extend direct rail links to Zhengzhou, Changsha and Kunming, further knitting Hong Kong into the national high-speed network.
For employers relocating staff into the Greater Bay Area or arranging regional assignments, the message is clear: rail is fast becoming the primary mode for under-1,500-kilometre journeys. Companies are advised to update their travel policies to reflect lower-carbon rail options and to brief employees on baggage limits (20 kg per passenger) and mobile-ticket QR code procedures, which differ from airline boarding passes.
For business travellers, the headline change is connectivity into the Yangtze River Delta. Daily sleeper services to Shanghai Hongqiao will increase from four round trips a week to three departures every night, giving executives an overnight alternative to red-eye flights. Frequency on the core Hong Kong-Guangzhou South corridor will jump to 24 round trips per day, while additional stops on the Chaoshan and Fuzhou routes will shave up to 20 minutes off journey times. MTR says it is coordinating with mainland railway authorities to ensure through-ticketing and Wi-Fi roaming are in place before launch.
Before setting off, travellers should remember that most mainland cities still require appropriate entry documentation. VisaHQ’s Hong Kong team (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) can secure China business visas, residence permits and multiple-entry passes on an expedited basis, letting corporate travel managers track every application online and avoid last-minute scrambles during Golden Week and other peak periods.
The expansion reflects relentless demand. West Kowloon handled 30,000 cross-boundary passengers per day on average in 2025, but Lunar New Year peaks regularly topped 70,000. Tourism researchers at Polytechnic University estimate the extra stations could add HK$1.2 billion in visitor spending during the eight-day holiday, as more second-tier cities gain seamless access to Hong Kong retail and hospitality. Corporate mobility managers point out that high-speed rail also offers Mainland staff a visa-free, point-to-point alternative to short-haul flights that still require airport security and longer immigration lines.
Operationally, Immigration Department sources say additional e-Channel kiosks will be opened in West Kowloon’s arrival hall, with queuing space re-striped to cope with an expected 25 per cent spike in family travellers. MTR will also pilot real-time crowd alerts in its mobile app, advising travellers when to arrive for boarding. In the medium term, the corporation plans to extend direct rail links to Zhengzhou, Changsha and Kunming, further knitting Hong Kong into the national high-speed network.
For employers relocating staff into the Greater Bay Area or arranging regional assignments, the message is clear: rail is fast becoming the primary mode for under-1,500-kilometre journeys. Companies are advised to update their travel policies to reflect lower-carbon rail options and to brief employees on baggage limits (20 kg per passenger) and mobile-ticket QR code procedures, which differ from airline boarding passes.
