Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) has merged with MTR (tel: 2881 888; website: www.mtr.com.hk) as the service provider for railways leading north from Hung Hom, Kowloon. Immigration facilities and baggage inspection are handled before boarding - passengers are asked to arrive 45 minutes before departure.
    
Hong Kong Station, located in the International Finance Centre Mall, Exchange Square, Central, serves the MTR Airport Express link - passengers wishing to connect to the mainland rail lines must cross to Hung Hom by MTR or ferry. The station has a left-luggage service, advance airport check in, information offices, exchange offices (at the Hang Seng Bank), duty-free shops, banks, restaurants and supermarkets.

Rail services: MTR operates a service from Hung Hom to Dongguan (Changping) and Guangzhou East, 10-12 times a day (journey time - 1 hour 40 minutes). There is also a service from Hung Hom to Foshan (journey time - 3 hours) and Zhaoqing (journey time - 4 hours). Restaurant cars are only available if travelling first class. Local MTR trains run daily 0528-0025 (every 5-10 minutes) to Lo Wu (the last stop before the Chinese border) with many passengers joining the trains at Kowloon Tong. It is possible for travellers to then cross the border to Shenzhen - the first city in China over the border. To go as far as Lo Wu, it is necessary for passengers to hold a visa for China; otherwise it is only possible to get to Sheung Shui. Immigration is handled at the Lo Wu border crossing. The last-minute border visa facility was suspended during the Beijing Olympic Games and remains closed, so visitors are recommended to obtain visas earlier. It is also advisable for travellers to leave plenty of time, especially at weekends and public holidays, as the crowds at the crossing point can be nightmarish.

Besides the express service from Kowloon to Guangzhou, there are now direct express links on alternate days to Beijing (journey time - 24 hours) and Shanghai (journey time - 20), as well as sleeper trains and stopping services to many other Chinese cities.