MTR will add 13 extra pairs of high-speed trains per day to its National Day services, stepping up capacity on the Hong Kong section of the cross-border rail link during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

The additional services apply to the high-speed rail connection between Hong Kong and mainland China, which MTR operates under the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's rail franchise. The operator routinely augments timetables around National Day on 1 October, when cross-border passenger volumes surge as travellers head to and from Guangdong and beyond.

The 13 extra daily train pairs represent a targeted capacity injection rather than a permanent timetable change. For passengers, the practical effect is more departure options and additional seats on a corridor where holiday demand regularly outstrips the standard schedule.

The detail available on the announcement is limited to the size of the service increase. MTR has not, in the information released so far, specified which destinations will receive the additional calls, the exact dates on which the enhanced timetable will run, or the total number of daily services once the extra paths are in place. The Hong Kong high-speed terminus at West Kowloon serves destinations across Guangdong province, including Guangzhou South and Shenzhen, as well as long-distance points further into the mainland network.

Passengers planning National Day travel should confirm final timetables through MTR's official booking channels, as additional services of this kind are typically tied to specific travel dates around the holiday period rather than an open-ended expansion.

MTR is expected to publish the detailed holiday timetable, including departure times and destinations for the additional trains, ahead of the National Day travel window.