GUANGZHOU, Dec. 28 -- Asia's largest underground railway station will open on Wednesday in the southern city of Shenzhen, slashing the travel time between Guangzhou and Hong Kong to half an hour.

The Futian High-speed Railway Station in downtown Shenzhen covers a total area of 147,000 square meters, or the size of about 21 football fields.

Its three underground floors are installed with more than 1,200 seats, allowing 3,000 passengers to wait simultaneously, according to Guangzhou Railway Corporation, which operates the station.

The travel time between Guangzhou and Hong Kong will be slashed to half an hour. Residents in Shenzhen only need 15 minutes to go to Hong Kong.

According to the operation table, there will be 11 pairs of high-speed trains running in and out of the station from Wednesday to Jan. 9. Another 12 pairs will be added to the schedule from Jan. 10.