The Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link, linking Hung Shui Kiu in the western New Territories with Qianhai in Shenzhen, is due to enter service in 2035, cutting the travel time between the two places to 15 minutes and deepening integration in the region.

The 18.1-kilometer underground line will have five stations - three in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and two in Shenzhen - with a depot planned in Ha Tsuen and a 5.4-kilometer undersea tunnel spanning Deep Bay, according to an SAR government document submitted to the Legislative Council on Tuesday.

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Starting from the Tuen Ma Line’s Hung Shui Kiu Station – now under construction and due to be completed by 2030 - the rail link will pass through Ha Tsuen and Lau Fau Shan before crossing Deep Bay to link up with Shenzhen’s  Qianhai via a new Shenzhen Bay station.

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The link aims to boost connectivity between Hong Kong’s planned new town, the Northern Metropolis, and Qianhai - a core area of the Guangdong-Shenzhen Technology Innovation Corridor. By 2035, the project is expected to facilitate daily travel for residents and strengthen economic integration in the Greater Bay Area.

To enhance Customs clearance and travel experience, Hong Kong and Shenzhen have agreed to establish a co-location checkpoint on the Shenzhen side. This will enable commuters to complete entry and exit procedures for both regions at the same location. Such an arrangement is being implemented at West Kowloon High-Speed Rail Station and the Shenzhen Bay control point.

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Both sides are due to design and build their respective facilities for the link. A single operator would then be tasked with the operation and procurement of the entire railway system to make it cost-effective, and strengthen efficiency and flexibility.

Hong Kong’s Transport and Logistics Bureau said it has invited tenders for the survey and design work, and aims to complete a series of relevant survey studies within 25 months at an estimated cost of HK$333.6 million ($42.8 million). Interested parties will be asked to submit letters of intent in the second half of this year.

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said a task office has been set up to oversee cross-boundary rail projects.

Contact the writer at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com