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.

China Railway announced earlier in June that it would run overnight high-speed sleeper trains between Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai from this Saturday, with the services to operate from Friday to Monday each week.

The train to Beijing departed from Hong Kong on time at 6.24pm, with the service for Shanghai leaving at 7.49pm.

The former is expected to take about 12½ hours and the latter will be 11 hours, halving overnight rail travel times while offering both regular seats and a range of sleeper cabins.

Brenda Yuen Choi-bik, 62, who works at a charity organisation and joined a tour group to Beijing with her sister, said they were surprised by how cosy the train was.

“At first, I felt the cabin is smaller than what I expected, but it feels homey after staying there for a while as all you need is a sitting and sleeping area,” Yuen said, adding the gifts that included a pair of ear plugs and an eyeshade were also “very thoughtful”.

The duo also enjoyed their supper at the dining compartment, which was a complimentary meal from the travel agency.

“It looks like a smaller version of a three-dish rice you buy in Hong Kong,” she said.

The dining compartment – decorated with red banners and balloons celebrating the inaugurated ride – was packed with passengers during dinner, including transport minister Lam.

The train crew also prepared special singing and dancing performances to entertain diners.

The Shanghai-bound D908 service also took off at 7.49pm on time.

Zhu Yefei, a 43-year-old construction worker, said he spent a week trying to buy the premium sleeper tickets exclusively available for the Shanghai-bound train, which were usually quickly snapped up, as he hoped to experience the journey with his son.

“I wish to take the train trip with my son while spending a lovely Father’s Day with him,” Zhu said.

For the premium sleeper decks, there was a common area provided for the passengers to sit and talk.

Zhu said the price of the premium sleeper tickets – which cost between HK$1,613 and HK$1,821 – were quite expensive, and he might choose the normal upper or lower deck options next time.

Pandora Chan, a 62-year-old secretary, said she was not satisfied with the facilities of the train.

“There are only two chargers within one cabin available for the passengers while all are located at the lower deck,” Chan said, adding that it was not convenient especially for single travellers.

“There was also no Wi-fi provided on the train and I am very shocked about that.” Chan said, calling it “unacceptable” as it meant she could not watch TV dramas or chat with friends throughout the journey.

Retiree Lo Chan-Fai, 80, said the experience of travelling by high-speed rail was vastly different to that of the older trains he had taken before.

Lo was travelling with his wife and two relatives on a trip to Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou, before returning on June 21 by sleeper train.

“When flying, there is always the concern about time being wasted for security checks and possible delays,” Lo said.

“This time is the best opportunity as four of us can stay together in one cabin and sleep comfortably for a night, avoiding any awkward situations.”

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu earlier said the sleeper trains would help to foster the city’s exchanges and integration with mainland China.