HONG KONG - Hong Kong rail operator MTR Corp Ltd said on Thursday it would suspend sales of high speed tickets to and from China's Wuhan city, the source of an outbreak of a new flu-like virus.

The MTR Corp said in a statement that the decision had been made after communicating with its railway partners in China.

Train services between Hong Kong and Wuhan would remain normal, however, the operator said, without elaborating.

Those passengers with valid tickets could opt for a full refund, it added.

Two train services now run between Hong Kong and Wuhan daily.

China has now locked down Wuhan, a city of 11 million people considered the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak that has killed 17 and infected nearly 600 people, as health authorities around the world work to prevent a global pandemic.

(Reporting by Alison Lui and Donny Kwok; Editing by James Pomfret) ((donny.kwok@thomsonreuters.com; +852 2843 6470; Reuters Messaging: donny.kwok.reuters.com@reuters.net))