Quarantine-free travel to Shenzhen
Finally and for the first-time, I took the high speed rail from Hong Kong into Shenzhen.
High Speed Rail interchange from Austin MTR in Hong Kong.
Despite the lunar new year festive period, the station didn't seem as crowded as I remembered it pre-COVID.
The entry gates at the Kowloon West Station.
I got my tickets online from 12306.cn, the official site of China Railway for all rail passes in China. I collected the hard copies from one of the counters the day before to avoid any long queues on the day itself.
Ticketing gantry.
Once you pass through the gantry, numerous signboards will prompt you to fill up an online health and itinerary declaration form, which will generate a unique QR code for scanning at the border control points. While there are no swab or PCR tests at this point, you are required to obtain a negative PCR report within 48 hours before departure.
The e-immigration control point.
The queues start forming up at the entry gates minutes before boarding.
Once you pass the ticketing checks, a huge electronic signboard greets you with directions to the platform.
Entering the high speed train at the platform (feels quite similar to boarding the maglev in Shanghai.)
The cabin interior is as clean as it gets.
In Shenzhen fifteen minutes later…
The Shenzhen Futian High Speed Railway station
And that's it - this post is as short as the journey on the high speed rail.