Hong Kong West Kowloon station

West Kowloon Station
Company type	Public transport infrastructure
Industry	Railway transport
Founded	September 4, 2018; 8 years ago in Jordan, Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong
Headquarters	Jordan, Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong
Area served	Hong Kong, Guangdong, Mainland China
Owner	MTR Corporation Limited (project manager on behalf of the Hong Kong Government)

Hong Kong West Kowloon station (abbreviated as WEK) serves as the southern endpoint and the only station within Hong Kong on the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL). It integrates with China's high-speed rail (HSR) system through dedicated tunnel connections and features a Mainland Port Area where Mainland Chinese jurisdiction is enforced. The station's development was overseen by MTR Corporation Limited, acting as project manager on behalf of the Hong Kong Government.

Situated in Jordan on the Kowloon Peninsula, just north of the West Kowloon Cultural District, the station lies between Kowloon station—served by the Airport Express and Tung Chung line—and Austin station on the Tuen Ma line. Its underground structure extends beneath the West Kowloon Cultural District.

Due to COVID-19 related restrictions, the station was shut down from 30 January 2020 until 15 January 2023. Partial service resumed in January 2023, with full operational capacity restored as of 1 April 2023.

Train services

West Kowloon station accommodates both regional and long-distance train operations. Regional services connect Hong Kong with nearby Guangdong cities including Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Guangzhou. In contrast, long-distance trains provide links from Hong Kong to major destinations across mainland China. Regional routes are managed by both MTRC—which operates services such as the Vibrant Express—and China Railway, while long-distance trains fall solely under China Railway’s operation.

Tickets for trains operated by either company can be purchased through both MTRC and China Railway channels. Pricing on China Railway’s platform is denominated in RMB, whereas MTRC sets fares monthly in HKD, based on RMB prices adjusted for exchange rates. Notably, MTRC’s online system does not offer seat selection or real-time seat availability details.

Per the "Cross-Boundary Passenger Transport Organization Rules for Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-Speed Rail," ticket sales onboard trains bound for West Kowloon Station are prohibited. Passengers crossing the mainland China-Hong Kong border without valid tickets are subject to substantial additional charges under Hong Kong Railway By-Laws.

Although designed to handle up to 20 trains per hour in each direction, it is anticipated that maximum capacity will not be reached for several years.

Short-haul services

Long-haul services

Ground transport

The Hong Kong Government has initiated infrastructure enhancements in West Kowloon aimed at improving both vehicular and pedestrian connectivity. These improvements address a critical traffic junction to support transportation demands associated with the West Kowloon Cultural District and West Kowloon station upon project completion.

A Transportation Study released in February 2023 detailed planned road upgrades:

Construction of an underground roadway linking Austin Road West (near Canton Road) to Lin Cheung Road (north of Jordan Road), facilitating uninterrupted pedestrian access among the Cultural District, West Kowloon station, and Kowloon station
Enhancement of the Austin Road and Canton Road intersection, potentially including widening Canton Road and expanding subterranean pedestrian passages
Creation of new road connections adjacent to the West Kowloon Highway intended to ease congestion within the broader transportation network

Structure

The construction of West Kowloon station was split into two main contracts: XRL810A (northern section), awarded to a joint venture between Leighton Contractors and Gammon Construction, and XRL810B (southern section), assigned to a consortium consisting of Laing O'Rourke, HCCG (Hsin Chong), and Paul Y.

Serving as a cross-border interchange, West Kowloon station is equipped with integrated customs and immigration facilities within the premises. This setup enables travelers to complete all border formalities prior to boarding, thereby eliminating the need for stops at the border between Hong Kong and Mainland China and substantially shortening journey durations.

Platforms

The station is designed to handle both 16-car long-distance trains and 8-car regional short-distance trains. As of July 2025, operations include 10 tracks—6 dedicated to long-distance services and 4 for short-distance—and 14 platforms: 6 for long-haul and 8 for short-haul trains. These consist of 5 island platforms and 4 side platforms. The comprehensive layout ultimately provides for 15 tracks (9 long-haul, 6 short-haul) and 21 platforms (9 long-haul, 12 short-haul), arranged across 9 island platforms and 3 side platforms.

Long-distance train services utilize the longer platforms situated on the eastern side of the station, which feature 9 tracks served by 4 island platforms and one side platform. Currently, only 6 of these tracks are operational, with passengers boarding and disembarking from Platforms 4 to 9, consisting of 2 side and 2 island platforms. Each platform is equipped with four lifts and four escalators—two designated for arrivals and two for departures—linking arrival areas to the B2 concourse level and departure zones to B3.

Short-distance trains, including MTRC's Vibrant Express, operate on shorter platforms arranged in a Spanish solution configuration. This layout separates boarding and alighting passengers on opposite sides of the train to minimize stop times and enhance frequency. Presently, short-haul operations run on four tracks supported by three island platforms (two dedicated to alighting) and two side platforms, totaling eight platforms numbered 11 through 18. Boarding platforms feature three lifts and two escalators, while alighting platforms are served by two lifts and three escalators. Plans are in place to expand this setup to six tracks with five island platforms and two side platforms dedicated to short-distance services.

Exits

Exit	Sign	Image	Sign Indicating surrounding places	Floor
A (Upper Exit)	Template:Rail icon Austin Station Wheelchair user access		Tuen Ma Line Austin Station Exit C, China Hong Kong City and Harbour City	B1
A (Bottom Exit)	Template:Rail icon Austin Station Wheelchair user access			B2
B1	Wui Man Road Pick-up/Drop-off Wheelchair user access		Wui Man Road Pick-up/Drop-off	G (ground floor)
B2
B3
C	Lin Cheung Road Wheelchair user access		Lin Cheung Road	G (ground floor) (via lift and B3M tunnel)
D1	Green Plaza		Green Plaza	G (ground floor)
F	Green Plaza		Green Plaza	G (ground floor)
G	Xiqu Centre Wheelchair user access		Hong Kong China Ferry Terminal	B2
H	Green Plaza Wheelchair user access		Green Plaza	G (ground floor)
J1	Coach Pick-up/Drop-off Wheelchair user access		Coach Pick-up/Drop-off
J2
J3
K1	Template:Rail icon Austin station Wheelchair user access		Austin Station Exit B4 and Jordan Road	L1 Footbridge
K2	"West Kowloon Station Bus Terminus Disabled access"	""	"Bus terminal roof garden"
"K4"	"Sky Corridor Disabled access"	""	"Sky Corridor and Observatory"	"L1 to L2 stair and slope"
"M"	"Elements, Hong Kong Disabled access"	""	"ELEMENTS and Template:Rail icon Kowloon station (MTR)"	"L1 Footbridge"
"N"	"Template:Rail icon Austin station (MTR) Disabled access"	""	"Austin station Exit D4, Austin Road Cross-border bus terminal"
"Taxi station drop-off"	""	"Taxi station drop-off"	"B1"
"Taxi station pick-up"	""	"Taxi station pick-up"	"B2"
"Station car park"	""	"Station car park"	"B2"
Disabled access Wheelchair access

Landscaping

The rooftop of West Kowloon station is adorned with an expansive green garden that blends cultural motifs with recreational areas. It provides seamless pedestrian connectivity among Kowloon station, Austin station, and the West Kowloon Cultural District, granting both locals and tourists generous public open spaces alongside a pleasant, verdant walking environment. Situated roughly above the station, a variety of trees and plants have been cultivated, forming a tranquil pedestrian zone, a verdant platform, and a wooded park that links directly to the harbourside parklands of the West Kowloon Cultural District.

Inside the entrance lobby, visitors encounter an ecological leisure corridor that harmonizes with the greenery atop the roof.

History and development

Initially intended to begin operations in 2012, the station’s launch was postponed until 2015 due to a nationwide review of high-speed rail initiatives following the 2011 Wenzhou train collision. In March 2014, severe flooding within the railway tunnels inflicted considerable damage on tunnel boring equipment, a problem attributed to incomplete tender documentation and inadequate site investigation. The station officially commenced service on 4 September 2018, with high-speed rail operations starting on 23 September 2018.

Construction expenses surpassed original budgets by about 30%, reflecting the complexities encountered during the project.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted the station’s closure from midnight on 30 January 2020 until further notice. It briefly resumed service on 30 June and 1 July 2022 to accommodate official visits by Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan for Hong Kong’s handover anniversary and Chief Executive John Lee’s inauguration. The station fully reopened on 15 January 2023.

Mainland Port Area

Within West Kowloon station, the Mainland Port Area operates as a border checkpoint between mainland China and Hong Kong. This section has been leased to mainland China at a nominal annual rent of HK$1,000. Since September 2018, immigration and police officers from mainland China have enforced mainland laws exclusively within this designated zone.

Area definition

Outlined in orange on official schematics, the Mainland Port Area encompasses China Customs and Immigration facilities located on B2 and B3 levels, platform zones on B4, as well as connecting corridors. Train carriages serving the Hong Kong segment of the Express Rail Link also fall under this jurisdiction, allowing for preclearance of mainland border controls within Hong Kong territory. British media reports characterize this arrangement as effectively transferring control over approximately one million square feet of station space for a nominal fee.

From a legal standpoint, aside from reserved matters, this area is considered outside Hong Kong’s jurisdiction but subject to mainland China's laws. This setup does not modify Hong Kong’s administrative boundaries.

Although listed by Shenzhen municipal authorities as a checkpoint, it remains uncertain whether West Kowloon High-Speed Rail station qualifies as an official Port of Exit for the Shenzhen SEZ Visa on Arrival program.

Implementation process

On 8 August 2017, a collaborative session involving Hong Kong's Legislative Council panels on Transport, Security, and Administration of Justice endorsed a motion in favor of the "co-location arrangement" at West Kowloon station.

Following this, the Legislative Council gave approval on 15 November 2017 to proceed with subsequent measures necessary to implement the arrangement.

The Hong Kong SAR Government officially initiated the project by entering into a Co-operation Arrangement with Guangdong Province on 18 November 2017, establishing the port facility at West Kowloon station for co-location execution.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress ratified the arrangement on 27 December 2017, affirming its alignment with both the Constitution of China and Hong Kong's Basic Law.

The Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link (Co-location) Bill was enacted by the Legislative Council on 14 June 2018, published in the government gazette on 22 June, and subsequently brought into effect through an official notice issued by the Secretary for Transport and Housing.

Legal proceedings in Hong Kong’s High Court saw Judge Anderson Chow initially reject applications for judicial review in September 2017 and April 2018, refuse interim injunctions in August 2018, but later grant leave for judicial review while ultimately dismissing substantive claims in December 2018.

Police station

The West Kowloon Station Police Station (西九龙站派出所) is administered by Shenzhen Railway Public Security Office (深圳铁路公安处), which is responsible for maintaining security within the mainland port jurisdiction.

Awards

In 2010, West Kowloon station's architectural design was honored with the "Cityscape Awards for Architecture" under Emerging Markets for Tourism, Travel & Transport Future Awards. Additionally, on 4 November that year, it secured the "Best Future Project ─ Infrastructure" accolade at the World Architecture Festival Awards.