The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link kicked off 2026 with a stellar performance, handling over one million cross-boundary passenger trips between Jan 1 and 12 -- a milestone underscoring deepening integration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Data from Shenzhen’s railway authorities show that cross-boundary passenger flow was dominated by business travelers, commuters and tourists.

Trips between Shenzhen and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region accounted for 63 percent of the total. About 454,500 passenger trips were made from the SAR to the Chinese mainland, and 562,600 in the opposite direction.

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To meet rising travel demand, railway operators have optimized capacity, operating more than 200 high-speed trains daily to ensure smooth travel.

The million-passenger-trip milestone testifies to the Greater Bay Area’s accelerating integration.

The predominance of business and tourism flows reflects the robust regional economic collaboration and vibrant consumer market, Shenzhen's railway department said.

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By cutting travel time and reducing factor mobility costs, the high-speed rail has significantly promoted the efficient agglomeration and allocation of talent, capital and technology across the region, injecting strong momentum into its coordinated development, it said.

Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com