HK enters a new era with high-speed rail

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.