40 
The Express Rail Link West Kowloon Terminus, when completed (sometime in 2015), will be the world’s largest underground high-speed rail station, occupying a whopping 4,628,481sq/ft! Its surreal modern design is the work of international architectural studio Aedes, who with it demonstrate the interconnectedness of architecture and technology.
From the central Hong Kong terminal’s 15 tracks, high-speed trains capable of reaching up to 124mph will convey to and from Beijing, in a record 48-minute’s time. (At present, the same trip takes 100 minutes by rail.)
From the structure’s landscaped paths, which are in fact the roof of the rail station, pedestrians will be afforded a breathtaking new view of the Hong Kong skyline from a vantage point of 148ft above the ground. Its horizontal design of smooth waves and clean lines cuts a sharp contrast against the otherwise tall and pointed buildings nearby, installing what is certainly a welcome contemporary new look for Hong Kong. [Freshome]
Transect China in Half the Time Aboard the World's Longest High-Speed Rail Line
UK Joins the High-Speed Rail Club -- HS2 Approved for 2026 Departure
This May Be the Most Surreal Building Ever Created
Looks like its been designed by Mr. Soft.
Quite like it though.
Hong Kong to Beijing is over 1200 miles, to do that in 48 minuets you will need to be going at a rediculus speed. is that 10 hours instead?
I think she got her minutes and hours mixed up. A current 100 hours reduced to a 48 hour journey sounds do-able. Particularly when you consider China is rolling out inter-city maglev connections.
Having caught a train from Hong Kong to Beijing I can tell you it takes exactly 24hrs and 7mins (in 2006) 124 mph isn’t maglev speeds either though, maybe a 10hr journey would make sense for 1200 miles at 120 mph?
It’s the Hong Kong to Guangzhou service that’s being reduced to a 48-minute journey time. The current Canton train takes 1h40m.
Hi fras78,
Do you have any link that would confirm the deployment of an inter-city Maglev network?
To my knowledge all China has invested in is good old “iron high speed”; the only Maglev line (actually “German tranrapid” line) from Shanghai airport was set to be prolonged to the inner city but I think even this was cancelled.
Anyway, I’m not saying you’re wrong, this would be exciting news, so please send your sources!
Thanks
That looks fantastic.
The architecture look stunning, and China surely is / or is going soon to rule the high speed world.
However, despite there being no official high speed train definition, most countries in Europe define high speed as being 250kmh+ (155mph+).
China itself has “real high speed trains” rolling at 300kmh+(185mph+); and many commuter or regional trains in Europe already do 200mph (124mph).
So 124mph as being “high speed” in the article, sounds more like “press release HS” than real HS.