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China

Shenzhen

A fishing village turned tech hub on Hong Kong's doorstep. On the intercity railway, your passport is the ticket.

China Railway (high-speed and intercity)

No paper ticket is issued - the passport you bought with is the ticket. Only the machines refuse a foreign passport; 12306's English site, counters, agents and on-board staff all sell to you. Use the staffed lane.

Updated on August 24, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Get your ID verified before you buy
    Register on 12306's English site or app, or take your passport to a station ticket counter.
  2. 2
    Buy on 12306's English site or at a counter
    Machines will not take a foreign passport. Counters, agencies and on-board staff can, and cards issued abroad are accepted.
  3. 3
    Bring the passport you booked with
    Tickets are electronic and nothing is printed - carry the original passport you bought with.
  4. 4
    Check your station and arrive early
    West Kowloon trains go from Futian or Shenzhen North; immigration means arriving early. Guangzhou: Shenzhen North or Shenzhen.
  5. 5
    Clear security and the ID check
    After the bag scan, staff confirm that ticket, document and person all match.
  6. 6
    Head for the staffed lane at the gates
    For a 12306 ticket, foreign passports are not on the list the gates read - show yours to staff in the manned lane.

Payment

Tap to ride
There is no open-loop bank card tap here - the gates read your ID document
Card payment at machines Counters only for foreign visitors; the self-service machines are out of reach
The operator does not name the brands it accepts
Station ticket counters take bank cards issued inside or outside China
App tickets
Buy on 12306; sales run 5:00 to 1:00, and to 23:30 on Tuesdays
Paper tickets
Paper tickets still exist on some domestic services
At machines: Cross-border tickets are electronic; a printed itinerary is not a ticket
Cash
At machines: Renminbi cash works at the station ticket counters

Quick facts

Heads-up

  • Getting caught ticketless at West Kowloon costs far more

    If you are found without a valid ticket at Hong Kong West Kowloon, the Railway By-laws surcharge applies - HK$1,500 for tickets from stations on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong line. That is an order of magnitude above the mainland rule of the fare plus 50 percent of the distance travelled.

Timetable

Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka