Greater Bay introduces ‘red-eye’ bullet trains to cope with holiday travel surge

On The Agenda

Overnight high-speed rail services have been rolled out across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to ease mounting pressure during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, as passenger volumes hit seasonal highs. The first “red-eye” bullet train departed Guangzhou South at 10.22pm on Sunday, reaching Wuhan in roughly four hours, offering travelers a late-night alternative to packed daytime departures, according to The Standard.

Passengers say the new services provide flexibility and smoother station access, with fewer crowds and shorter waits compared to peak daytime periods. Demand across the region has climbed steadily since the Lunar New Year travel window opened. From February 8, China Railway Guangzhou Group logged more than two million daily departures, with heavy traffic expected to continue through February 15, The Standard reported yesterday.

To handle the surge, railway authorities plan to operate 2,472 overnight high-speed trains during the pre-festival peak, including more than 400 extra services on the busiest days. Routes will connect major southern transport hubs such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen with inland cities including Wuhan, Chongqing and Nanchang.

The HK Standard also revealed that Guangzhou South Railway Station is maintaining 24-hour operations to support the initiative, providing hot water, food and essential services for late-night passengers. Local transport departments are also extending connecting bus and metro services to improve last-mile links and keep the holiday migration moving.