The Guangzhou–Kowloon through train () was an inter-city railway service between Hong Kong and Guangzhou jointly operated by the MTR Corporation of Hong Kong and the Guangzhou Railway Group of mainland China. Services operated along the East Rail line within Hong Kong territory, crossing the Hong Kong–Chinese border at Lo Wu, and continuing along the Guangmao Railway and Guangshen Railway in Guangdong province.
Twelve trains ran in each direction every day, with a journey time of 1 hour 40 minutes.MTR
The MTRC operated the KTT service on this route. The KTT service was provided by double-decker trains, usually comprising two Premium Class carriages and five First Class carriages. China Railway Guangzhou Group provided the other trains on this route.
Places served by the MTR Guangzhou–Kowloon Through Train included: Hong Kong, Dongguan, Guangzhou. The service had been suspended since the outbreak of COVID-19, and officially discontinued on 31 July 2024, following an announcement by the General Administration of Customs on the closure of all four railway ports of the inter-city through trains, citing that the travel needs had been met by high-speed rail services from Hong Kong West Kowloon to Guangzhou East.
History
Early years
The original line of the Chinese section was called the and the British section was called the Kowloon–Canton Railway (KCR), which later stretched a rapid transit network in the other New Territories regions in Hong Kong. The engineering partnership Messrs Arthur John Barry and John Wolfe-Barry were Consulting Engineers to the project.Minutes of the Hong Kong Legislative Council: 13 May 1909; 10 March 1910; 20 April 1911 www.legco.gov.hk.
The segment within Hong Kong, then a British Crown colony, was known as the British section. Construction began in 1906, and it was opened on 1 October 1910 Hong Kong Government Gazette from 1910-10-07; https://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkgro/view/g1910/15197.pdf. Retrieved 2021-04-24 as a single-track system, roughly corresponding to the present-day East Rail line).
The complete railway between Kowloon in Hong Kong and the Chinese city of Canton (Guangzhou) was opened on 5 October 1911.The remaining section, i.e., the Chinese Section, corresponds to the present-day Guangzhou-Shenzhen Section of the Guangshen Railway Corporation (Simplified Chinese: 广深铁路). With the Chinese section opened in 1911, through-trains ran from the southern terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui across the border to the southern Chinese city of Canton at Tai Sha Tau station. Trains were steam-hauled. From the one-line railroad, the KCR network was expanded to three railway lines and a light railway system, with 32 railway stations and 68 light rail stations.
At first trains on the British Section ran northwards from a temporary terminus at Kowloon Point through the eastern New Territories up to the border with China at Lo Wu. The permanent southern terminus, Kowloon station in Tsim Sha Tsui, opened later in 1914.
A narrow gauge railway operating works trains was used in the construction of the standard gauge British Section. The narrow gauge materials were later used to build the now-defunct Sha Tau Kok Branch.
Modern era After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, through-trains were initially unable to cross the border, a situation that persisted for thirty years. On 4 April 1979, the through train service between Canton (Guangzhou) and Hung Hom resumed after agreement between Hong Kong and Chinese authorities. In January 1993, the service was extended to Foshan, and to Zhaoqing on 28 March 1995. Starting from 8 October 1995, some trains stopped at Changping station in Dongguan. In 1996, the northern terminus was relocated from Guangzhou railway station to Guangzhou East station.
Train service to Zhaoqing ended on 16 April 2017 due to renovation. Service to Foshan also stopped from 10 July 2019 following the opening of Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link. Both border crossings closed on 15 December 2021, ruling out any return of the through train service to the two cities.
Suspension and discontinuation The through train service was suspended on 30 January 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Hong Kong. Sources in April 2022 said the train service would not resume due to the Express Rail Link service extending to Guangzhou east station.
On 31 July 2024, the General Administration of Customs announced the closure of all remaining four railway ports for the inter-city through trains, which was already approved by the State Council in June 2024, marking the official discontinuation of the service. The cited reason for the discontinuation was that the high-speed passenger trains have effectively met the travel needs between the mainland and Hong Kong.
Stations
Historic stations
The following shows the stations served by the through train in 1911 upon the commencement of service. Most of them became stops of Guangzhou–Shenzhen railway. The through train service was suspended on 14 October 1949 after Communist China occupied Canton, and was only resumed on 4 April 1979.
During this period, the through train service included new stops, such as in Tin Ho (天河), Wan Luk (雲麓), Sheung Shui (上水).
+NameDistrictOpened inClosed in English ChineseCantonalso Tai Sha Tau 廣州／大沙頭 Canton, Kwangtung19111974Shek Pai 石牌–Che Pi 車陂 Punyu, KwangtungWu Chung 烏涌 Nam Kong 南崗 2009Sun Tong 新塘 Tsengshing County, Kwangtung–Tong Mei 塘美 2007Nga Yeo 雅瑤 ?Sien Tsun 仙村 –Shek Ha 石廈 ?Shek Tan 石灘 –Shek Lik Kou 石瀝滘 Shek Lung 石龍 Tungkun County, KwangtungSai Wu also Cha Shan 西湖／茶山 Nam Sheh 南社 2007Wang Lik 橫瀝 2009Sheung Ping & Muk Lunalso Sheung Ping 常平木倫 –Tu Tong 土塘 Cheung Muk Tou & Shek Maalso Cheung Muk Tou 樟木頭石馬 Lum Tsun林村2010Tong Tou Ha塘頭廈–Shek Ku 石鼓 2007Tin Tong Wai 天堂圍 2007Ping Wu 平湖 Sun On County, Kwangtung–Li Long 李朗 2007Pu Kut 布吉 –Shum Chunalso Sham Chun Market 深圳／深圳墟 ↑ Chinese section | British section ↓Lo Wu羅湖New Territories, Hong Kong1949–Sheung Shui上水1930Fanling 粉嶺 1910Tai Po Market 大埔墟 1983Tai Po Kau 大埔滘Sha Tin 沙田 -Mong Kok 旺角 Kowloon, Hong KongHung Hom 紅磡 1921Kowloon 九龍 1975
Modern service (ended 2020) NameDistrictService English ChineseStarted inEnded inHung Hom 紅磡 Kowloon, Hong Kong19792020Changping 常平Dongguan, Guangdong19952020Guangzhou East 廣州東 Guangzhou, Guangdong19962020Guangzhou廣州19791996Foshan 佛山 Foshan, Guangdong19932019Zhaoqing 肇慶 Zhaoqing, Guangdong19952017
See also Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link
Notes
References
External links
MTRC intercity passenger services