The Northern Link will be a rail link of rapid transit

Rapid transit

A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...

/railway system of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 which connects the West Rail Line and the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line

Lok Ma Chau Spur line

The Lok Ma Chau Spur Line is the second railway link between Hong Kong and Mainland China, relieving passenger congestion at Lo Wu Station. The alignment branches off the existing MTR East Rail Line north of Sheung Shui Station and then runs to the Lok Ma Chau Station where customs and...

 of the East Rail Line. The link will also serve as a connection to the border checkpoint to mainland China

Mainland China

Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...

 for passengers of the western part of the New Territories

New Territories

New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...

. The Northern Link will start at Kam Sheung Road and end at Lok Ma Chau, where it will terminate at the East Rail Lok Ma Chau Spur Line station. Proposals recommend a new station to be built at Chau Tau for interchange between this link and East Rail Line. It is reported that the line may be built as a single-track railway to achieve cost effectiveness. Three intermediate stations, Au Tau

Au Tau Station

Au Tau is a proposed station on the Northern Link of the MTR in Hong Kong. The station will be situated at Au Tau, an undeveloped area located in Yuen Long District, New Territories....

, Ngau Tam Mei

Ngau Tam Mei Station

Ngau Tam Mei is a proposed station on the Northern Link of the MTR in Hong Kong. The station will be situated at Ngau Tam Mei, an undeveloped area located in Yuen Long District, New Territories....

 and San Tin

San Tin Station

San Tin is a proposed station on the Northern Link of the MTR in Hong Kong. The station will be situated at San Tin, an undeveloped area located in Yuen Long District, New Territories....

 are also proposed.

Under some of the proposals, the link will serve as one of the sections of the Regional Express, a new intercity service connecting Hong Kong, Shenzhen

Shenzhen

Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...

 and Guangzhou

Guangzhou

Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...

.