The crossing
High-speed or a land crossing
Updated 6 September 2026
People search this when they are tired of Lo Wu and think a train is a different country. It is a different building.
What West Kowloon is
The Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link station in West Kowloon is listed by the Immigration Department as a control point. You clear Hong Kong and mainland checks in that building, then you are on a mainland train. A 2026 LegCo security paper listed passenger hours there as 6:30 am to 11:30 pm. Hours move. Check ImmD the morning you travel.
When the train wins
You are going to Shenzhen North, Futian railway station, or onward to Guangzhou, and you would rather sit than stand in a Lo Wu snake. Buy the ticket from a source that actually issues mainland rail tickets. We will not invent a fare.
When the land crossing wins
Futian Sam's is a short walk from the Spur Line, not from West Kowloon. Luohu shopping is Lo Wu. Qianhai and Shekou are Shenzhen Bay or a metro hop after Futian. Use the crossing picker for the shop, the train for the railway station.
Quick answers
- Is West Kowloon faster than Lo Wu?
- For a train into central Shenzhen, often yes. For a Sam's trolley, no — you still have to get from the railway station to the shop.
- Do I still need a Home Return Permit?
- Yes. The joint checkpoint does not cancel the document.
- Is it 24 hours?
- No. ImmD publishes passenger hours for the Express Rail Link West Kowloon Station. Check before a late return.
Hours, fares, and rules move. Check ImmD, C&ED, or the operator the morning you travel.