On 9 August 2022, the train Z97/98 was suspended due to the construction of the Guangzhou Baiyun railway station, which opened in December 2023.
On 4 June 2024, China Railway announced that the services from Beijing and Shanghai to Hung Hom will be replaced by high-speed sleeper trains to West Kowloon station.
Along the route, trains stopped at Changsha, Wuhan and Zhengzhou, though only passengers travelling from Guangzhou might disembark due to customs and immigration reasons.
Beijing-bound passengers from Hong Kong could order tickets from an online reservation system operated by the MTR Corporation.
Passengers departing from or arriving at Hong Kong could embark or disembark from platforms 5 or 6 of Hung Hom Station, which was restricted to intercity operations.