Shenzhen plans to build a checkpoint in Qianhai to serve passengers on the proposed Hong Kong–Shenzhen Western Rail Link, a senior official from the Shenzhen Municipal Office of Port of Entry and Exit said on a call‑in radio program last week.
Chen Qiang, vice director of the office, said preparations for the Qianhai Checkpoint are being accelerated. The new facility will be located in the under‑construction Qianhai Comprehensive Transport Hub — a complex that will integrate Metro, bus, and intercity rail services.
To streamline border clearance, the checkpoint will operate under a co‑location arrangement, allowing passengers to complete both Hong Kong and mainland immigration procedures at a single facility.
Although Qianhai — designated by the State Council in 2010 — is only about a 20‑minute drive from the Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint, the new facility is expected to meet growing demand for business exchanges driven by roughly 9,000 companies and some 10,000 Hong Kong residents in the zone.
The planned Hong Kong–Shenzhen Western Rail Link will connect Hung Shui Kiu in Hong Kong with Qianhai. Once operational, the line is expected to reduce travel time between the two points to about 15 minutes. The project, which aims to link Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis with the Guangzhou–Shenzhen innovation and technology corridor, is scheduled for completion between 2034 and 2038.
Meanwhile, the Huanggang Checkpoint — currently under renovation and scheduled to be operational next year — will also implement the co‑location arrangement and introduce a new clearance model in July called “collaborative inspection and joint clearance,” according to Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung.
Under this model, automatic channels or counters for both outbound and inbound travelers will be set up side by side within a single boundary area inside the checkpoint, allowing visitors to queue once to complete immigration procedures for both sides. This will significantly improve clearance efficiency and spare travelers the inconvenience of carrying luggage between two separate port buildings.