New link: The Lok Ma Chau Spur Line is the second rail between Hong Kong and the Mainland, relieving passenger congestion at Lo Wu.

The Lok Ma Chau Spur Line checkpoint and its public transport interchange will open to the public at 4pm on August 15, the Transport Department says.

The checkpoint will operate 16 hours a day from 6.30am to 10.30pm during its initial opening period for the convenience of passengers who will interchange with the last train of the Shenzhen metro line 4 at 11pm.

Shenzhen and Hong Kong authorities will review the operation and passenger flow three months after the checkpoint's opening to assess when to extend its operating hours to midnight. 

Apart from the East Rail Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, passengers can also travel to the public transport interchange next to the Lok Ma Chau Terminus by franchised bus, green minibus and taxi, and cross the boundary through the new control point.

The franchised bus route B1, plying between the public transport interchanges of West Rail Yuen Long Station and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, will operate at a 15-20 minute interval at $11 a trip, with a promotional fare offered at $10.

The green minibus route 75 will travel between Fok Hong Street in Yuen Long and the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line public transport interchange. The service, also at a 15-20 minute interval, charges $6 a trip.

The new checkpoint is located inside a frontier closed area. Cross-boundary passengers must hold a valid travelling document to pass through. Non-cross-boundary passengers need to hold a valid closed-area permit to enter the area. 

More details on the public transport arrangements for the checkpoint are available here. For enquiries, call the 1823 hotline.