New Metro Line to Make Trips to Shenzhen FasterOnce the Shenzhen metro system and the Hong Kong Lok Ma Chau Spur Line are linked, the journey from Hong Kong to Shenzhen will be reduced to only 16 minutes, according to the Shenzhen Transportation Bureau.Both the governments of Shenzhen and Hong Kong have reached a consensus to link the two at the Shenzhen's Huanggang checkpoint, according to the Southern Metropolis News Saturday. Last year, Kowloon-Canton Railway Corp's (KCRC) spur line from Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau failed to satisfy an environmental hurdle, and the Environmental Protection Department refused to issue an environmental permit for the project. In addition to the reduced travel time, Hong Kong's Octopus Card, a "smart" card used for passenger transport, will be compatible with Shenzhen's fee-collection system to make that aspect of the trip smooth, KCRC reported. In a seminar focusing on transportation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, participants from government sectors emphasized that the link should get top priority as the number of passengers in both directions has increased dramatically, largely because of a growing trend of Shenzhen residents' commuting to work in Hong Kong. "The link is of vital importance to Hong Kong and Shenzhen," said Ma Weiwu, chairman of Hong Kong Luk Ka International Ltd. In the near future, Hong Kong will focus on finance and advanced technology, and Shenzhen may become a major base for industrial manufacturing, Ma projected. Zhang Nan, deputy director of Shenzhen Customs, pointed out that currently the increase in stress for his checkpoint workers comes from those Hong Kong business people who constantly travel to Shenzhen. Figures from the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department indicates in the past 10 years, the number of Hong Kong visitors to the mainland has registered double digit growth in percentage on an annual basis. |
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