High-speed sleeper trains make maiden trips from Hong Kong to Beijing and Shanghai
- But not all passengers satisfied with service, with some complaining lack of Wi-fi left them without entertainment.
The first high-speed overnight trains to Beijing and Shanghai sped out of Hong Kong on Saturday, carrying the city’s transport minister who called the service a “breakthrough” and residents who embraced the rail journey as a more relaxing way to head north.
The China Railway trains were due to arrive in the capital and Shanghai on time early Sunday morning and deliver hundreds of well-rested passengers, the first of what will no doubt be many seizing on a new transport artery slicing through the eastern provinces of China.
But not all passengers were satisfied with the service, with some complaining the lack of Wi-fi was surprising and left them without their usual forms of entertainment.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung, who was among those taking the train to Beijing, hailed the new services as a “breakthrough” which offered an extra option for passengers who wanted to travel overnight and reach their destinations for work or other activities the next morning.
He said the city’s authorities would strive to expand the current four-day operation if demand soared.
“We will continue to work hard to maintain the important transport hub status of Hong Kong’s West Kowloon terminus as the country’s southern gateway,” he said.
