Rail travelers from Shenzhen to Shantou can save 26 minutes under the new train operation schedule that is officially implemented today.

With the operation of the Guangzhou-Shantou section and Shantou-Shanwei section of Hangzhou-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway in September and December last year, passengers from Shenzhen North Railway Station can now reach Shantou South Station through the high-speed railway network in eastern Guangdong.

Under the revised schedule, the trip to Shantou takes 109 minutes, 26 minutes shorter than the journey duration on the Shenzhen-Xiamen railway.

The railway operator will handle 16 high-speed trains running between Shantou South Station and Shenzhen, including four trains, namely G6408, G6412, G6489, and G6447 originating from Shenzhen North Railway Station and 12 trains departing from Shenzhen Railway Station.

For cross-border travel with Hong Kong, the number of trains running between Futian and West Kowloon stations will be increased from 74 to 98 per day starting from today. The departure times for the final trains leaving Futian and West Kowloon stations will be extended to 10:31 p.m. and 11 p.m., respectively.

Under the new schedule, Shenzhen North Railway Station will handle 667 trains daily, including 457 trains departing from or terminating at the station and 210 trains transiting through. Meanwhile, Shenzhen Railway Station will manage 204 trains each day, including 52 high-speed trains, 152 intercity trains connecting with Guangzhou, and 18 regular-speed trains.

Nationally, the new schedule, aimed at enhancing passenger and cargo transport capacity, will introduce 233 additional passenger trains daily, bringing the total to 11,149, according to China State Railway Group Co. Ltd. A total of 22,264 freight trains will operate nationwide each day after the adjustment, an increase of 40 compared to the previous schedule.