The first two high-speed sleeper trains to Beijing and Shanghai left Hong Kong on Saturday.
Lu Jingxian was one of the people who arrived at Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Station on the D907 high-speed sleeper train from Shanghai.
The 84-year-old was in Hong Kong to visit family and said the trip was “as comfortable as staying in a hotel”.
“Everything you need, including toiletries, is provided, and you can order food online and staff will deliver it to your room,” Lu said.
“But the best thing was that I could sleep. The train didn’t rock at all and it felt like I was in a cradle.”
Lu said he would be happy to take the high-speed sleeper train on future visits to Hong Kong.
Lu’s train left Shanghai Hongqiao Station at 8:15 pm and arrived in Shanghai about 11 hours later, making stops in Shenzhen, Chaoshan, Xiamen and Hangzhou.
The arrivals were welcomed by Hong Kong’s Minister for Tourism Yeung Wan Hung and senior officials of the Hong Kong Subway Authority, and were presented with commemorative gifts as they passed through West Kowloon station.
Ren Zhengyi, a 35-year-old housewife from Shanghai, said she was on the train with her husband and two children, aged five and seven.
“It’s a new experience. We’ve never slept on a train before. It’s more child-friendly than flying. Next time we come, we’ll definitely consider taking the sleeper train again,” she said.
“I was able to save a lot of time by being able to start sightseeing right away without having to stay in a hotel. Accommodation in Hong Kong is quite expensive.”
Yang Zhigong, a 60-year-old market researcher working in Shanghai, also said he enjoyed the trip because it didn’t require extra preparation time compared to flying.
“I arrived 15 minutes early and just jumped on the train so there was no time wasted,” he said.
“Prices are competitive, cheaper than airfare during peak season and cheaper than airfare during off-peak season.”
The new high-speed train service will replace trains running between Hong Kong’s Hung Hom Station and Beijing and Shanghai, halving journey times and offering 600 seats per train, including standard seats and a range of sleeper cabins.
During the first three days of service, a second-class seat on a train to Beijing cost about HK$937 (US$119.9), an upper bunk cost about HK$1,031 and a lower bunk cost about HK$1,306.
During the same period, the price of a second-class seat on a sleeper train to Shanghai ranged from HK$682, while passenger carriage prices ranged from HK$878 to HK$2,128.
The first high-speed sleeper train from Beijing, D909, also arrived at West Kowloon Station, arriving in Hong Kong at around 8:45am after a 12.5-hour journey that included stops in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou, Changsha and Shijiazhuang.
Chen Ruidong, managing director of China Travel Services, which also organised the group tour for the 13 train passengers, said the response was better than expected as all participants signed up in a single day.
“For travel agents like us, taking a sleeper train saves us two nights’ accommodation and the travel cost is also much cheaper than flying,” he said.
Chen said hospitality companies could also consider offering more food options and installing shower facilities to improve customer experience.
Tour group member and retiree Wu Shun, 70, said she was visiting Hong Kong with her husband for the fourth time after hearing about the new rail service.
“We thought we would never get a chance to visit Hong Kong again as we are old and don’t have the stamina to fly and can’t sit for hours,” she said.
“The bed was very comfortable and clean. We will definitely visit Hong Kong again. Next time we might bring some friends with us, as we can all stay in the 4 person cabin.”
Selina Chen, 34, a finance worker who travels regularly between Hong Kong and Beijing, said the trains were more convenient for business travellers like her.
“Hong Kong’s weather has been quite unreliable recently and flights are easily cancelled or delayed, but trains often arrive on time,” she said.
“After work on Friday I can catch the train around 8pm, which is a good time. I’ll definitely consider this option next time.”