The opening ceremony to mark the commissioning of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link will be held on September 22.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam made the statement ahead of today’s Executive Council meeting, saying she and Guangdong Governor Ma Xingrui will formally officiate at the event.

“What has taken place at midnight at the West Kowloon terminus is a working level sort of handover because the legislation on co-location took effect at midnight today.

“The important opening ceremony will take place on September 22,” she said.

The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (Co-location) Ordinance came into operation at midnight after Secretary for Transport & Housing Frank Chan and Deputy Secretary-General of the Guangdong Provincial Government Lin Ji jointly hosted a ceremony to mark the commissioning of the Mainland Port Area at West Kowloon Station.

In the lead up to the express rail link’s opening, Mrs Lam said she has asked the Transport & Housing Bureau and the Mass Transit Railway Corporation to respond to questions as promptly as possible to allay any unnecessary fears or anxiety.

Responding to media enquiries, she said mainland officers will not leave the area under the Mainland’s jurisdiction.

“They come in on a daily basis from Shenzhen to work in the Mainland Port Area and they are not allowed to go out to have their lunch or dinner, so we need to find arrangements to provide meals to them. 

“But the cost of all these meals as well as the cost of all the other expenses like cleansing, collecting rubbish, electricity and water, the costs are all picked up by the mainland authorities, but we need to help them to arrange these things. So, it’s as simple as that.”  

In response to questions about a basement at the terminus, she said such facilities are common in buildings and hotels to carry out maintenance and logistics work.