Projects cut Guangdong-Hong Kong transportation times

In the 20 years since Hong Kong was handed back to the mainland, the Chinese government has sought to improve transport links in this vital part of the Pearl River Delta.

One such major transportation project has been the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail link which is scheduled for full completion in the third quarter of 2018.

So far, the high-speed rail link operates from Guangzhou, through Shenzhen to Futian, the last stop before crossing over into Hong Kong.

Once completed, it is expected that the travel time between Hong Kong and Guangzhou will be just 48 minutes, covering a distance of almost 120 kilometers between the two metropolises.

According to Chen Paiming, an official from Hong Kong Highways Department, the final section – the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) will form part of China's railway network.

Starting from West Kowloon in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong section of the rail link is about 26 kilometers long and will run along a dedicated underground rail tunnel to the Chinese mainland border near Lok Ma Chau for connection with the mainland section of the XRL.

West Kowloon Station of XRL under construction. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Once the XRL section is completed, travel time between Hong Kong and Shenzhen will be just 23 minutes.

Another major transportation project is the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao (HZM) Bridge which is expected to open in 2018.

The 55-km bridge connects three major cities of the Pearl River Delta and will become the world's longest cross-sea passage upon completion.

Consisting of vast oversea bridges and an undersea tunnel section, the transport link is expected to cut travel times between Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao down to just 40 minutes from 4 hours by road at present.