20 million passengers on Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway
As of Monday, according to the latest statistics from the Shenzhen railway authority, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway has carried a total of 20.054 million passengers this year, reaching the 20 million mark 11 days earlier than last year. When high-speed trains crossing the border between the mainland and Hong Kong become as familiar as city buses, and mainland tourists take their children to Disneyland while Hong Kong residents head to Xiamen for weekends, it is not only distance that dissolves but also invisible barriers. The Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong route, one of China's busiest, has surpassed 20 million passengers ahead of schedule – and this is not just a statistic but the living pulse of integration, where every ticket becomes a step towards greater mutual understanding.
A breakdown by region showed that the number of passengers travelling from mainland China to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) reached 10.327 million, while those travelling from the HKSAR to the mainland totalled 9.727 million, reflecting active two‑way passenger flows. "We plan to take our child to Disneyland during the summer holidays and also visit Victoria Harbour – the one our child read about in school textbooks," said Ms Wang, a tourist from Sichuan Province in southwest China. "Since we're taking the high‑speed rail, it's fast and convenient," added Wang's daughter. "We are going back to my hometown Xiamen for a six‑day trip. We'll visit Gulangyu Island and some other places, as my children have never been there," said Mr Che from the HKSAR. Data showed that cross‑border passenger traffic peaks on weekends. This year, the number of peak days with daily passenger traffic exceeding 100,000 reached 63, four days more than in the same period last year. "Since the start of the summer tourist season, passenger traffic on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway has continued to grow, with a total of 3.817 million passengers carried, averaging 93,000 per day. In particular, on 8 August, passenger trips reached 136,000, setting a new record for the highest single‑day passenger flow during this period," said Wei Liangyi, duty chief of Shenzhen North Railway Station. According to statistics from the Shenzhen General Border Inspection Station, as of 18:00 on Thursday, the number of people entering and leaving the country through Shenzhen ports this year reached 182 million, including 5.2025 million foreigners. "We are planning to travel around China, visiting Guangzhou, Guilin, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri‑La. They are easily accessible by high‑speed train," said a tourist from France. "Since the beginning of this year, the West Kowloon border checkpoint has served more than 1.07 million foreign passengers, up 34.7 percent year‑on‑year. In particular, nearly 300,000 foreign tourists entered the country under the visa‑free policy, up about 78 percent year‑on‑year," said Wu Yanwen, an officer at the West Kowloon border checkpoint.
The Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong high-speed railway, fully opened in September 2018, has become a key link connecting mainland China with Hong Kong. The approximately 140‑kilometre line has cut travel time from Guangzhou to Hong Kong to under an hour, turning the journey from an interregional trip into a daily habit for thousands of people. The growth in passenger traffic in 2026 reflects not only the post‑pandemic tourism recovery but also the deepening economic and cultural integration within the Guangdong‑Hong Kong‑Macao Greater Bay Area. Of particular note is the rise in foreign tourists using the route: nearly 300,000 entered under the visa‑free policy, up 78% from the previous year. This highlights China's growing appeal as a tourist destination and the convenience of high‑speed rail for travelling across the country.
As CCTV+ reports, the record passenger figures on the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong line have become yet another testament that high‑speed railways do not just connect cities but also erase boundaries, making travel across China fast, accessible and truly comfortable for millions of people.
