Passengers sing praises for HK bullet train

A passenger poses for a selfie photograph with a Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) Vibrant Express train, operated by MTR Corp., at Shenzhen North Railway Station in Shenzhen, China, on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. The world’slongesthigh-speed railnetwork extended to downtown Hong Kong today, providing a direct connection to 44 mainland destinations.Photographer: Tyrone Siu/Pool via Bloomberg

HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s controversial bullet train got off to a smooth start, as hundreds of passengers whistled north across the border at speeds of up to 200 kph, deepening integration of the former British colony with mainland China.

While the US$11bil (RM45.5bil) rail project has raised fears for some over Beijing’s encroachment on the Chinese-ruled city’s cherished freedoms, passengers at the sleek harbourfront station were full of praise for a service that reaches mainland China in less than 20 minutes.