'Through train' off to a slow start

Connect program serves as bridge linking overseas and mainland investors

Overseas investors showed greater interest in Shenzhen-listed shares as the long-awaited, second cross-border stocks "through train" between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland rolled off the tracks on Monday despite a slow start amid global economic uncertainties.

The kickoff of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, which came just more than two years after the launch of a similar link with Shanghai, saw nearly 21 percent of the daily northbound quota of 13 billion yuan ($1.9 billion) being snapped up, while less than 10 percent of the daily southbound quota of 10.5 billion yuan was used.