Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station

The Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station is built for high-speed service between Hong Kong and Mainland China. High speed service opened on September 23, 2018. Now Hong Kong is connected directly to at least 44 cities in Mainland China by high-speed trains.

West Kowloon Station is the south terminus of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL). This station is in West Kowloon and adjacent to metro stations of Kowloon and Austin. So it is now the major travel hub in the Kowloon area for both China travel and internal transportation.

It is the world’s largest underground train station and has won international design awards. For travelers, it is now the fastest way to travel between Hong Kong and much of China within an easy day’s travel time. Those wishing convenient travel to and from southeastern China and international locations can now utilize the bullet train, the MTR, and Kong Kong International Airport.

• Chinese: 香港西九龙火车站
• Location: Jordon, Yau Tsim Mong District, West Kowloon, Hong Kong
• Station size: 15 platforms, with 9 long distance platforms and 6 short distance platforms
• Area: 11 hectares

West Kowloon Station Layout

Hong Kong West Kowloon Station

It is the world’s largest underground train station and measures 400,000 square meters. It is equipped with many convenient facilities including China customs and immigration, Kong Kong customs and immigration, and quick access to the airport via the Kowloon Station access for those traveling internationally.

West Kowloon Station comprises five floors. Four floors are underground and one floor is above ground. Most of its facilities are underground.

West Kowloon Station Design Layout

• First Floor (1F): the first floor above the ground, also called the ground floor, has a concourse hall with entertainment spaces laced with a large series of cultural elements. It has entrances and footbridges connecting the station to West Kowloon Cultural District, Kowloon Station (MTR) and Austin Station (MTR) and an extensive garden area in front.
• Basement Floor 1 (B1): ticket office, parking lot, taxi stands, stores and restaurants
• Basement Floor 2 (B2): arrival level, Mainland Port Area, Hong Kong Port Area, immigration, customs, passengerway to Austin Station (MTR), taxi stands and stores
• Basement Floor 3 (B3): departure level, Mainland Port Area, Hong Kong Port Area, immigration, customs
• Basement Floor 4 (B4): platform area. There are 15 platforms. Nine are for long-distance trains and 6 are for Guangdong regional trains.

Special Features and Facilities of Interest for Travelers

The huge train station has many facilities good for tourists and travelers. There is direct access to the Elements Mall that is one of Hong Kong’s Best Luxury Malls, direct access to the West Kowloon Cultural District and Xiqu Centre, an open plaza city park in front of the building, and a rooftop promenade with great Victoria Harbor and skyline views where you can watch the Symphony of Lights or fireworks in the evening.

You’ll also find convenient restaurants, fast food, and shop services on level B1. But for better dining and shopping, we suggest you walk 9 minutes to the Elements Mall via the passageway. For Chinese opera, tea and art, you could use the pedestrian passageway to Xiqu Centre outside of Austin Station.

Artistic touches include angled pillars and the streamlined roof that features 4,000 pieces of glass and more than 16,000 pieces of aluminum sheeting with irregular shapes. Tourists will enjoy the airport-like seating arrangements.

Awards: In 2010, the designers won the “Cityscape Awards for Architecture” of the Emerging Markets of Tourism, Travel & Transport Future Awards and the “Best Future Project ─ Infrastructure” of the World Architecture Festival Awards.

Hong Kong West Kowloon Station Service

West Kowloon Station’s lobby

You can now travel to stations in 44 cities in Mainland China, and more cities will be available in the future.

West Kowloon Station embarks 127 pairs of high-speed trains to Mainland China every day. These include 114 pairs of short-distance trains to Futian, Shenzhen North and Guangzhou that leave at an average interval of 25 minutes, 15 minutes and 30 minutes respectively. Thirteen pairs of long-distance trains run to major cities outside Guangdong Province.

Short-Distance High-Speed Train Service

Short-distance high-speed train service connect Hong Kong West Kowloon to cities on Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Humen, Guangmingcheng and Qingsheng. Apart from that, West Kowloon Station also depart trains to other cities inside Guangdong Province like Foshan, Shantou, Huizhou, Shanwei and Chaoshan, etc.

Information for the most popular Guangdong regional bullet trains is below.

• Hong Kong – Shenzhen High-Speed Train: Futian Station and Shenzhen North Station
• Guangzhou – Hong Kong High-Speed Train: Futian, Shenzhen North, Guangmingcheng, Humen, Qingsheng, Guangzhou South
• Guangzhou – Shenzhen – Hong Kong High-Speed Train

Long-Distance Train Service

West Kowloon operates 13 pairs of cross-border long-distance high-speed trains to 38 major cities outside Guangdong Province that link Hong Kong directly to Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha, Hangzhou, Nanchang, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Guiyang, Kunming, Zhuzhou, Shijiazhuang, Jinhua, Zhangzhou, and etc.

Information about these popular long-distance high-speed trains is below.

• Hong Kong – Guilin High-Speed Train
• Hong Kong – Chengdu High-Speed Train
• Shanghai – Hong Kong Trains

Booking High-Speed Train Tickets to/from Hong Kong

The Hong Kong West Kowloon Station’s ticket office

Booking tickets online with a travel agency like China Highlights is the fastest and most convenient way.

Needed Documents For Booking China Train Tickets

• For foreign travelers: passport
• For Chinese travelers: Chinese ID document
• For Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan residents: Mainland Travel Pass

Hong Kong Train Ticket Booking Instructions

Train tickets from Hong Kong to mainland China and vice versa can be bought at the ticket offices in Hong Kong West Kowloon Station. If you have made ticket reservations online, you can also collect paper tickets at the ticket offices.

West Kowloon’s ticket offices’ working hours is from 06:00 to 23:00. Ticket purchasing and collection stop 45 minutes before train’s departure time.

When buying train tickets at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, cash (Hong Kong dollar and Renminbi), credit cards (Visa and Mastercard), Google Pay, Apple Pay and Alipay are accepted.

Instructions for Purchasing Hong Kong Train Tickets

Co-Location Arrangement for Immigration

West Kowloon Station has the Hong Kong Port Area and Mainland Port Area on B2 and B3 floors, respectively. Passengers traveling between Hong Kong and Mainland China by high-speed trains can go through adjacent entry and exit immigration. This new arrangement saves a lot of time and hassle.

China Bound Station Arrival, Getting Tickets, Immigration, Customs and Boarding Procedures

The ticket collecting and purchasing office for China-bound trains is in the Ticket Hall on level B1. Once you have the tickets, pass through the ticket examinations and security scanner checks, and then go down to the Departure Hall on level B3 via the escalators.

On B3, first go through Hong Kong Immigration Departure Clearance, have your passport checked, and then pass through the Customs clearance area, walk down a long corridor, and walk into the China Immigration Check Point where you’ll wait in line for visa and passport checking. Then your go through the Customs Procedures area, and then wait for the gates to the train platform to open.

Once opened, departing passengers should go down to the B4 Platform on the escalators, and then find and enter your passenger car as indicated on your ticket.

For information about riding the bullet trains and tips about bullet trains and tickets, see: 7 Things to Know Before Riding A Train in China and How To Take a Train in China.

Information board for trains departing from Hong Kong

Hong Kong Bound Disembarkation, Immigration, Customs, and Exit Procedures

The passengers who are arriving will disembark their trains at the B4 Platform. Go up to level B2 via the escalators, and then undergo the passport checking at the Mainland Departure Clearance area. Go through the adjacent China Customs area and walk down the passageway. At Hong Kong Immigration, they will check your passport and visa status. Undergo the Hong Kong Quarantine check, if any, pass through Hong Kong Customs, and then have your ticket checked before exiting the station.

Public Transportation to/from Hong Kong West Kowloon Station

Hong Kong West Kowloon Station is part of the Kowloon travel hub that includes Austin Station and Kowloon Station. It enjoys favorable public transportation and has easy access to other parts of the city. West Kowloon Station is adjacent to MTR Austin and Kowloon stations. The newly-built West Kowloon Transport Bus Terminus is set up on the ground floor, providing extensive local public bus routes and long-distance coach service.

The following three ways of transportation conveniently get you to and from West Kowloon Station.

Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR)

Through the footbridges on the first floor above the ground and underground pedestrian tunnels, a 2-3 minutes’ walk can get you from West Kowloon Station to MTR Austin Station, and 10-12 minutes’ walk to MTR Kowloon Station, which allows fast transfer between high-speed railway and subway.

Through the MTR, you can easily transit from the West Kowloon Station to other regions of Hong Kong:

• Tung Chung Line: from MTR Kowloon Station to Lantau Island and Hong Kong Island.
• Airport Express: from MTR Kowloon Station to Hong Kong Airport and Hong Kong Island.
• West Rail Line: from MTR Austin Station to Tsuen Wan and Hung Hom Railway Station; West Rail Line interacts with Tsuen Wan Line which can transfer you to Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok, Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay.

For information about suggested touring routes using the MTR for transportation, see Touring Hong Kong by MTR Subway and Tram.

Public Bus from/to Hong Kong West Kowloon

There are 14 bus routes from West Kowloon Bus Terminus to various regions of Hong Kong, they are W1, W2, W3, 36X, 36B, 42A, 46, 60X, 63X, 69X, 81, 95, 268X and 271.

Taxi

Hong Kong Red Taxis in Tsim Sha Tsui

Taxi stands are available on the ground floor, B1 and B2 floors. The local taxi service is of comparatively good quality and can take you to Tsim Sha Tsui within two minutes.

Kowloon West to/from Hong Kong International Airport

At present, we suggest these two ways for rapid public transit. Quicker bus routes will probably open in the future.

By MTR subway: Take the Airport Express train to Kowloon Station, take the C1 Exit, and then enter the station via the footbridge or underpass. The travel time is about 25 minutes, and the ticket price is about 100 HKD or 13 USD for a single trip.

By airport bus: Take bus A12 to the Western Harbour Crossing Toll Plaza, and then walk to the nearby Austin Road West to take bus 215X to get there. The duration is about 45 minutes, and the ticket price is about 50 HKD or 7.40 USD.

Tourist Attractions around West Kowloon Station

The ICC Tower on the harbor houses the luxury Elements Mall. It is about 11 minutes away from the station.

West Kowloon Station is about 6 minutes via MTR from the well known Tsim Sha Tsui attractions including Harbour City Mall, the Avenue of Stars, the Star Ferry, the Symphony of Lights, Nathan Road and lots of other popular places near Victoria Harbour.

Recommended scenic walking route: Instead of walking along tunnels to take the MTR, a scenic 20 minute or so walk will put you on Nathan Road near Kowloon Park, and you can walk down to the Victoria Harbor front.

Exit the West Kowloon Station, and walk east on Austin Road, and enter Kowloon Park. Then walk out onto Nathan Road, and walk down Nathan Road.

Right around the station, there is the ICC Tower and Elements Mall and the new Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District.

Here are suggested touring plans for Hong Kong to help you save time as you see the best in Hong Kong according to your price budget.

• One Day Middle-Priced Travel Plan
• One Day Luxury Travel Plan

Private Tours of Hong Kong and China

China Highlights specialized in bespoke, custom tours for individuals, families and small groups. Here are recommended Hong Kong, Guangdong, and regional tours.

• Half-Day Hong Kong Island Tour — includes VictoriaPeak with a one-way Peak Tram ride, Aberdeen, and a sampan ride
• — Our most popular Shenzhen tour.
• — You will tour Beijing, Guilin, Yangshuo, and Hong Kong.

China Highlights private transport services

Private Transport: Instead of using taxis, we could arrange private transport for your tour.

All our tours are modifiable. You can mix and match tours or design your own. Contact us. We reply in 24 hours.

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