Editorial | High-speed rail link helps keep Hong Kong on track for economic recovery
While rising ridership figures are a sign of progress in Greater Bay Area integration, the city must do more to adapt and attract the travellers of tomorrow
However, they also underscore challenges that lie ahead. This includes a need to refocus from just counting arrivals to coming up with ways to better attract and serve visitors and locals.
The MTR Corporation revealed on Sunday that passengers made more than 30 million trips using the high-speed line in 2025, a 17 per cent increase from 2024 that set a record. Cumulative patronage since the service launched in September 2018 surpassed 100 million journeys.
The West Kowloon rail terminus also reached a new single-day record of 140,000 passenger trips on December 27. The company said about 80 per cent of the high-speed rail passengers were short-haul travellers and the proportion of Hong Kong residents using the service had “steadily increased” to about 45 per cent.
The increased two-way traffic is important to note. Instead of just tourists coming south, Hong Kong residents are shuttling north to the mainland for dining and entertainment. It reflects how Greater Bay Area integration is moving beyond policy concept to reality.