Getting There By Rail
Kowloon-Canton Railway – KCR (tel: 2929 3399; fax: 2601 6602; website: www.kcrc.com) is the service provider for railways leading north from Kowloon. The KCR Terminal is located in Hung Hom, Kowloon. Immigration facilities are handled before boarding – passengers are asked to arrive 45 minutes before departure.
Hong Kong Station, located in the International Finance Center Mall, Exchange Square, Central, serves the MTR Airport Express link – passengers wishing to connect to the KCR rail lines must cross to Kowloon by MTR or ferry. The station has a left-luggage service, advance airport check in, information offices, exchange offices (at the Hang Seng Bank), duty-free shops, banks, restaurants and supermarkets.
Rail services: Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) operates a service jointly with Chinese Railways (tel: 2947 7888) from Kowloon to Guangzhou, four times a day (journey time – 1 hour 35 minutes). There are also services from Hong Kong to Foshan (journey time – 3 hours) and Changping (journey time – 1 hour 15 minutes). Restaurant cars are only available if travelling first class. Local KCR trains run regularly, daily 0530–0025 (every 5–10 minutes) to Lo Wu (the last stop before the Chinese border) with many passengers joining the trains where the KCR line connects with the MTR at Kowloon Tong. It is possible for travellers to then cross the border to Shenzhen – the first city in China over the border. To go as far as Lo Wu, it is necessary for passengers to hold a visa for China, otherwise it is only possible to get to Sheung Shui. Immigration is handled at the Lo Wu border crossing and there is a last-minute border visa shop, although visitors are recommended to obtain visas earlier. It is also advisable for travellers to leave plenty of time, especially at weekends and public holidays, as the crowds at the crossing point can be nightmarish. The KCR WestRail information line (tel: 2684 8623) can provide further information.
Besides the express service from Kowloon to Guangzhou, there are now direct express links to Beijing (journey time – 16 hours) and Shanghai (journey time – 15 hours 35 minutes), as well as sleeper trains and stopping services to many other Chinese cities.
Transport to the city: The Hung Hom station has plentiful bus and taxi services to destinations in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Mongkok and Kowloon Tong stations have direct links with the MTR.
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Getting There By Rail