Carrie Lam: New transport service tostrengthen coordinated development and boost exchanges in the Bay Area
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has welcomed a new era in the SAR with the commencement of high-speed rail, linked with the country's extensive express rail network.
Lam made the remarks at the opening ceremony for the high-speed rail service at Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station Saturday morning.
The opening of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, to be operational on Sunday, connects Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, three poster cities driving the rapid development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The transport service upgrade will strengthen coordinated development and boost economic, social and cultural exchanges in the region, Lam said.
With the new service, people from Hong Kong are able to reach with greater ease, long-haul destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan - capitalof Hubei province - and Hangzhou - capital of Zhejiang province.
The cities all are economic powerhouses playing key roles in vibrant city clusters, thriving around the nation's capital Beijing and in the Yangtze River Delta region.
Thanks to the express rail service, the two economic zones, around Beijing and in the Yangtze River Delta, will form a stronger link with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The additionof high-speed rail will strengthen the synergy effect among the three economic zones and create more opportunities, Lam said.
Lam thanked the support from central government authorities, the Guangdong provincial as well as the Shenzhen city governments.
She also expressed gratitude to the China Railway Corporation for providing the best arrangements on train scheduling, ticketing and finance to Hong Kong.
Welcoming the new cross-boundary infrastructure, Governor of Guangdong province Ma Xingrui called the commencement of service a "milestone", introducing a major boost for cooperation between Guangdong and Hong Kong.
Lu Dongfu, general manager of China Railway, said the XRL integrates the Hong Kong SAR into the nation's 25,000 km express rail network and serves as a bridge for closer integration between the city and the mainland.
High-speed rail opens a new chapter for Hong Kong's future and promises abundant opportunities, said Frederick Ma Si-hang, chairman of the MTR Corporation, the operator of the Hong Kong section of the XRL.
Lam and Ma Xingrui officiated at the ceremony in Hong Kong. Later they, together with other guests, went through Hong Kong and mainland boundary clearance procedures under the co-location arrangement, all at the West Kowloon Station.
They boarded a Vibrant Express train to Guangzhou South Station in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province. Later Lam took the same train back to Hong Kong.
Lam said she had enjoyed the convenience of the round trip, and encouraged Hong Kong people to take advantage of the XRL and visit the mainland more often.
Another 10 dignitaries helped to officiate at Saturday's commencement ceremony in Hong Kong. They included vice-chairmen of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and former chief executives of the Hong Kong SAR Tung Chee-hwa and Leung Chun-ying; Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council Zhang Xiaoming; Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR Wang Zhimin; Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong SARXieFeng; Commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong GarrisonTan Benhong; and Secretary for Transport and Housing of the Hong Kong SAR Government Frank Chan Fan.
The Hong Kong section of the XRL has a length of 26 kilometers. It officially opens to serve passengers on Sunday. The first train from Hong Kong to the mainland sets off at 7:00 am from the West Kowloon Station.
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