There was a time when landing in Hong Kong felt like arriving in the future. In 1998, the sleek Airport Express glided out of Chek Lap Kok, whisking passengers directly to the heart of the city. It was a symbol of modernity and efficiency, placing Hong Kong among a handful of global cities with a dedicated airport rail link. We were pioneers and justifiably proud.

That pride now risks becoming a relic. While the Airport Express was once a point of differentiation, it is now becoming a point of parity. The 14th five-year plan included a stipulation that 80 per cent of the country’s international and regional aviation hubs should have a railway connection by 2025.

In response, airports across China are aggressively moving beyond conventional rail to build direct high-speed rail links. This national push is set to redefine regional dynamics in the Greater Bay Area with the coming second Guangzhou-Shenzhen high-speed railway.

This corridor serves a dual purpose. Primarily, it will seamlessly link the Guangzhou and Shenzhen airports in about 40 minutes, forging a powerful, integrated air-to-rail transport cluster. Furthermore, it will tightly weave together the city centres of Guangzhou, Dongguan and Shenzhen, dramatically compressing the distance between these urban hubs and their major aviation gateways.

This consolidation is likely to redirect passenger flows and reshape airline flight patterns within the Greater Bay Area. Passengers and airlines will naturally gravitate towards the most connected and convenient aviation hubs. Once these new travel habits and operational models are established, they will become deeply entrenched and difficult to reverse.
Consequently, if Hong Kong rests on its laurels and fails to integrate into this cluster, it risks gradual marginalisation. The city could find itself transformed from a premier international aviation hub into a relative backwater, disconnected from the main currents of regional travel and commerce.

This trajectory puts our massive public investment in the three-runway system in peril. Without a corresponding boost in connectivity, it might never reach its full passenger capacity, making it difficult to justify this critical infrastructure and ultimately weakening Hong Kong’s standing in the region.

Some might argue that the Hong Kong West Kowloon station already connects the airport to the national high-speed rail network. However, this requires a downtown detour via the Airport Express, which is a far cry from the seamless, terminal-integrated air-to-rail hubs being planned in the Guangzhou and Shenzhen airports.

We recommend a pragmatic solution: a Hong Kong-Shenzhen inter-airport railway. Rather than a completely new railway, it would involve extending the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link, scheduled to be operational by 2035, from its planned terminus in Shenzhen at Qianhai to the Shenzhen airport and from its Hong Kong terminus at Hung Shui Kiu to the city’s airport.

Crucially, the proposed extension should be developed concurrently, to be operational by 2035. This would help minimise any gap with the second Guangzhou-Shenzhen high-speed railway and prevent further slippage in the Hong Kong airport’s regional connectivity.

The success of major infrastructure projects ultimately rests on the support of the public. While some might see this inter-airport railway as something that has no effect on their daily lives, any delay in its realisation would send ripples far beyond the aviation sector, having an impact on the interests of every citizen.

First, it directly concerns travel options and costs. The aviation industry operates on economies of scale. Should Hong Kong lose its share of the Greater Bay Area passenger market thanks to poor connectivity, airlines could reduce flight services here. The consequence for Hong Kong residents would not only be fewer flight choices but also the potential burden of higher airfares. Only by leveraging this rail link to “grow the pie” and secure a stable flow of passengers from the Greater Bay Area could Hong Kong residents continue to enjoy the benefits of being an international aviation hub.

Second, it promises unprecedented travel convenience. Residents of the western New Territories could enjoy rapid rail access to the Hong Kong airport. Moreover, with strategic station placement – such as a stop at Sunny Bay for interchange with the Tung Chung Line – this connection would efficiently link the Northern Metropolis, Lantau Island, the Harbour Metropolis and Shenzhen’s Qianhai, significantly shortening journey times for both local and cross-boundary travel.

Furthermore, this inter-airport railway would serve as a safeguard against systemic transport paralysis. While the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok tunnel has improved road access to the airport, rail connectivity remains entirely dependent on the Lantau Link.

The memory of the strategic route being severed for an extended period after a vessel hit the Kap Shui Mun Bridge – which nearly cut off the airport from the urban core – remains vivid. A new, independent rail artery is essential insurance, diversifying traffic flow and ensuring the stable operation of the airport and the daily commutes of our citizens.

We were once pioneers who understood that connectivity is destiny. To honour that legacy, we cannot be complacent. Supporting the inter-airport railway is a test of our vision and determination – a chance to show the same foresight that built the Airport Express. This is more than a railway; it is a strategic choice to secure Hong Kong’s future competitiveness and ensure we connect to the nation’s development.

The window of opportunity will not stay open forever. Let’s not let our past lead become a future of catching up.