Following is a question by the Hon Duncan Chiu and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (May 13):
 
Question:
 
     Many members of the public have relayed that certain ancillary facilities at the West Kowloon Station (WEK) of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) are inadequate, including insufficient seating in the waiting hall for departing passengers and a lack of convenient food and beverage (F&B) services and retail facilities (e.g. vending machines), which fail to meet passengers' actual needs and affect their waiting experience. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the monthly total patronage, the highest daily patronage and the date concerned, and the average daily patronage during peak and non-peak periods of the Hong Kong Section of XRL, from January 1, 2025, to the end of April this year;
 
(2) whether it has compiled statistics on the average number of passengers waiting in the waiting hall at WEK during peak and non-peak periods from January 1, 2025, to the end of April this year; of the current number of seats in the waiting hall; whether the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) has any plans to increase the number of seats and other facilities in the waiting hall; if so, of the details (including the proposed number of additional seats and the proportion of such seats equipped with USB charging ports) and timetable;
 
(3) given that the Transport and Logistics Bureau, in its reply to a question from a Member on June 4, 2025, stated that the Government would work with MTRCL on refining the arrangements for providing F&B services and shops in the waiting hall in the Mainland Port Area, and that it had already had preliminary discussions with the Mainland authorities regarding the operation and regulatory arrangements for such shops, of the latest progress of the work concerned (including the F&B services and facilities added or to be added, and the number, location and regulatory arrangements of the shops involved); and
 
(4) of the operating revenues and expenditures of MTRCL in operating WEK and the Hong Kong Section of XRL over the past three financial years; and of the percentage of the operating expenditures spent on the maintenance, enhancement, upgrading and management of passenger convenience facilities at the station in each of those years?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) was commissioned on September 23, 2018, connecting with the national high-speed rail network which currently spans over 50 000 kilometres. Since January 2026, the number of Mainland destinations directly accessible from the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station (WEK) has increased from 44 at the beginning of its operation to the current 110. The XRL patronage has been steadily on the rise and striking new highs in recent years. In 2025, the patronage of the XRL Hong Kong Section reached an annual total of over 30 million passenger trips, and the cumulative patronage surpassed 100 million passenger trips thus far. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) will continue to work with the Mainland authorities to enhance the XRL services continuously, so as to meet passengers' travelling needs and the long-term development of the XRL.
 
     In consultation with the MTRCL, a reply to the question raised by the Hon Duncan Chiu is as follows:
 
(1) The monthly number of arrival and departure passenger traffic via the Hong Kong West Kowloon Control Point from January 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026, are tabulated below:
 

Month/Year	Monthly Total Patronage ('000)
1/2025	2 680
2/2025	2 184
3/2025	2 273
4/2025	2 757
5/2025	2 434
6/2025	2 288
7/2025	2 750
8/2025	3 224
9/2025	2 081
10/2025	2 738
11/2025	2 536
12/2025	2 986
1/2026	2 713
2/2026	3 003
3/2026	2 666
4/2026	2 977

Note: The number for April 2026 is provisional.

     In 2026, the single-day patronage of the XRL hit record high since its commissioning on two occasions, with 145 800 passenger trips on February 19 (the third day of the Lunar New Year) and 148 700 passenger trips on April 4 (the Easter and Ching Ming Festival holidays). As at April 2026, the average daily patronage of 2026 exceeded 90 000 passenger trips, which was higher than the average daily patronage of 80 000 passenger trips in 2025. Festive holidays and weekends are peak periods for travel on the XRL, with the average daily patronage generally exceeding 100 000 passenger trips.

(2) The MTRCL has been continuously reviewing and enhancing as needed the station facilities at the WEK, so as to provide passengers with a more comfortable experience. In 2023, the MTRCL provided additional seats at the waiting hall, and has been providing more seats at all levels of the WEK progressively since August 2024. Currently, there are a total of 1 400 seats at the waiting hall on level B3 across various waiting areas, which is an addition of 200 seats when compared with 2023. Additionally, three mobile device charging facilities with USB ports are available at the waiting hall on level B3 (eight in total across the station) for use by passengers in need. To ensure that passengers can queue in a smooth and orderly manner while waiting for and boarding the trains during peak periods, the MTRCL has reserved sufficient queuing space in the waiting areas, and provides train information using signage and large electronic displays to facilitate the entry and boarding of passengers. The Government and the MTRCL do not maintain figures on the average number of passengers waiting at the waiting hall.

(3) At present, there is a diversity of shops and vending machines on levels B1, B2 and the ground level of the WEK to meet the different needs of passengers. The waiting hall at the WEK falls within the boundary of the Mainland Port Area, where all operating arrangements (including the provision of shops) must comply with the "co-location arrangement".
 
     The HKSAR Government acknowledges that providing shops and food and beverage services at the waiting hall in the WEK will help enhance the travelling experience of passengers. The HKSAR Government is actively discussing with the MTRCL and the relevant Mainland authorities to take forward the relevant operational and supporting arrangements for shops under the framework of the "co-location arrangement".

(4) Over the past three financial years, the XRL Hong Kong Section has brought about an annual operating revenue of about $2.5 billion (in 2023), about $3.3 billion (in 2024) and about $3.5 billion (in 2025) respectively to the MTRCL. As for the operating cost, while the MTRCL made projections on various operating costs items during the planning of the XRL project, in the actual operation, the MTRCL does not have a breakdown of the various operating costs figures.

Ends/Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Issued at HKT 12:35

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