A high-speed rail link that effectively moved a piece of mainland China into Hong Kong.

Society · Published 9 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link is a marvel of modern engineering, slashing travel times between major hubs. Yet, its most controversial feature is not the train speed, but the Mainland Port Area—a slice of Hong Kong station where mainland Chinese law, not local law, is enforced.

The Express Rail Link (XRL) project originated from late 1990s proposals to address Hong Kong's anticipated population growth and cross-border travel demand. Initially conceived as a commuter-focused 'Regional Express' that might even use maglev technology, the project evolved into a 143-kilometer high-speed wheel-rail line. By 2003, planners abandoned maglev due to higher costs and technical difficulties, opting for mature technology that could reach speeds of 350 km/h. The final route connects Guangzhou South to Hong Kong’s West Kowloon station, with the Hong Kong section spanning 26 kilometers of dedicated underground track.

Construction was a massive undertaking, facing significant delays and budget escalations. Originally expected to cost between HK$130 and 170 billion in 1998 estimates, the final project budget ballooned to HK$85.3 billion by 2015. Severe flooding in 2014 damaged tunnel-boring machines, pushing the inauguration of the final phase to September 2018. Today, the line is operated by the MTR Corporation under a lease running until December 2057.

The most profound aspect of the XRL is the 'co-location arrangement' at West Kowloon station. This policy created a Mainland Port Area within the station, effectively ceding jurisdiction over platforms and checkpoints to mainland China for a token rent of HK$1,000 per year. Within this zone, mainland immigration and police operate under mainland law. While the government argued this facilitates preclearance, critics, including the Hong Kong Bar Association, warned it irreparably breached the Basic Law and eroded Hong Kong's autonomy. The arrangement remains a flashpoint for concerns regarding the 'One Country, Two Systems' framework and the rule of law.

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