China launched overnight high-speed trains from Hong Kong to Beijing and Shanghai this week [operated by MTR]. The trips are about 1,200 miles and 750 miles by air, respectively. From Hong Kong to Beijing, the overnight trip takes 12 hours 30 minutes, and it covers roughly the same distance as a flight from New York to Miami or Los Angeles to Dallas. It complements the 8 hour 15 minute day train that has run for years. The overnight trip to Shanghai takes 11 hours. The corresponding day train takes just 7 hours 47 minutes. (It is important to note that many other high-speed trains use these tracks, only a few go from end to end.)
Affordable
Both trains leave in the early evening and arrive around 7 am. Prices range from $120 to $193 for the Beijing trip and $88 to $273 for the Shanghai trip, depending on whether you book a coach seat, a sleeper cabin, or a deluxe sleeper cabin. The new trains show the adaptability of high speed rail and how it can be expanded to offer travelers ever-better experiences and options.