The train G5607 bound for Hong Kong is pictured at the Shenzhen North Railway Station in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province, Jan 15, 2023 (PHOTO / XINHUA)

From Thursday until April 6, high-speed train services between Hong Kong and Shenzhen will be increased to cater to travelers over the holiday peak, and the train frequency will be increased every Saturday after the vacation period, the MTR Corp said.

The MTR announced on Wednesday that it will provide additional train services between Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Station and Shenzhen’s Futian Station from Thursday until Apr 6, a period that includes the Easter and Qingming holidays, to accommodate the anticipated surge in the number of passengers. The details have not yet been released.

Apart from the ad hoc service enhancement, the MTR has also decided to add four train services between Hong Kong and Shenzhen every Saturday, starting April 6, increasing the total number of rides on Saturdays between the twin cities to 192.

The increased services will include two trains traveling between West Kowloon Station and Futian Station, and two trains operating between West Kowloon Station and the Shenzhen North Station Station, with Futian as a stop.

The MTR said that the train frequency on Saturdays is being increased to meet the growing demand for cross-boundary travel at weekends – a trend that has emerged since the city resumed normal travel with the Chinese mainland.

The MTR noted that the Same-day Flexi-trip Arrangement will apply to all additional train rides. The flexi-trip arrangement enables Hong Kong-Shenzhen commuters to change their ticket up to three times, no later than one hour after the ticket’s original departure times.

Launched on Aug 14, 2023, the flexi-trip arrangement initially benefited Hong Kong passengers traveling to or from Futian, and was extended on March 18 to include West Kowloon-Shenzhen North rides.

The Hong Kong Immigration Department estimates that around 11 million people will cross the Hong Kong-mainland border during the upcoming Easter-Qingming holidays, with the peak period being between Mar 29 and Apr 1, when around 601,000 and 589,000 travelers are expected to pass through the checkpoints.

To cope with the anticipated peak, the MTR also announced plans to enhance its metro services, especially on lines that may serve many tourists and cross-boundary passengers.

Kowloon Motor Bus and Citybus have released their service enhancement plans for the holiday period for those traveling to the city via the major land crossings, including the Shenzhen Bay and Heung Yuen Wai ports.

Contact the writer at lindaxi@chinadailyhk.com