The total number of daily HSR long-haul train pairs will be increased from 13 to 17, and the number of destinations connected by HSR will increased from 44 to 58. Four new HSR long-haul train pairs heading to Chongqing, Nanning, Tianjin and Zhaoqing will replace four existing short-haul train pairs, and the services will also stop at intermediate stations between WEK and Guangzhounan. One of the five existing train pairs which terminates at Chaoshan will be extended to Shantou. MTR has carried more than 13 million passengers to and from WEK since HS services commenced on September 23 2018. MTR says it has been maintaining close liaison with China Railway to address service needs and overall passenger demand. “The 14 new destinations, including Chongqing, Foshan, Nanning, Shantou, Tianjin and Zhaoqing, are all popular cities for travellers,” says MTR CEO, Dr Jacob Kam. “We believe the enhanced service will attract more passengers to take HSR to explore these cities.” As the launch of HSR resulted in a reduction of passengers on the Intercity Through Train services, MTR says it will also be adjusting the timing and destinations of these services. From July 10, there will be three fewer Intercity Through Train round trips running between Hong Kong Hung Hom and Guangzhoudong. Intercity Through Train currently provides a daily services from Hung Hom to Foshan but, given that HSR service will connect to Foshanxi, the service will now terminate at Guangzhoudong. As East Rail Line and Intercity Through Train services share the same track, the adjustment provides an opportunity to enhance East Rail Line services by providing more evenly-distributed train trips. From July 10, East Rail Line service will be enhanced from 08.00 to 09.00 on weekdays with an additional southbound service running from Lo Wu to Hung Hom, and two additional northbound services running from Hung Hom to Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau respectively.
