China coronavirus: Hong Kong and mainland passengers descend on West Kowloon station ahead of widespread suspensions to cross-border travel
- Midnight shutdown of vast sections of cross-border transport system leads to flurry of activity at West Kowloon station
- High-speed rail link with mainland China suspended to stem flow of people amid virus outbreak
Passengers rushed to catch the last high-speed trains between Hong Kong and mainland China on Wednesday, ahead of the city government’s shutdown of West Kowloon station and other parts of the cross-border travel network to contain the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.
Many of those entering and leaving the West Kowloon terminus had been forced to change their travel plans, fearing being stranded in the wrong part of the country amid the threat of further border closures.
The station on Wednesday was limited to three entrances and guarded by railway staff and small groups of riot police.
One staff member said only one-way tickets departing from Hong Kong were being sold before the station effectively shuts down overnight.
“It’s quite scary,” said Jan Zhang, 30, a native of Guangdong province in southern China who works in Hong Kong’s finance industry.
“I was supposed to come back to Hong Kong tomorrow, but after hearing the news of the closure I rushed back this morning.”
