Rail transport in Hong Kong
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hong Kong's rail network comprises public transport trains operated by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRC). The MTRC operates the metro network of Hong Kong and connects the northeastern and northwestern New Territories with the rest of Hong Kong. Approval has been granted for the merger of the MTRC and the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC), following discussions to merge the two corporations for economies of scale and cost effectiveness.
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[edit] History
The first mode of rail transport is the Peak Tram, serving The Peak, the Mid-levels and the city centre since 1888. Tram started service along the northern coast of the Hong Kong Island in 1904. The British Section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway (now the KCR East Rail), a conventional railway, was opened in 1910. It was not until 1979 that a rapid transit system, the MTR, was opened. In 1982, the British Section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway began its transition towards electrification, with new EMUs providing rapid transit-like service. The Light Rail Transit (LRT, now the MTR Light Rail) began its operation in the Tuen Mun and Yuen Long new towns in 1988. The two railway companies, MTR Corporation Limited and Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, merged on 2 December 2007, to form a single rapid transit network.
There are several extensions planned or under construction, including the Kowloon Southern Link, the Sha Tin to Central Link and the Northern Link.
[edit] MTR
Ten lines, 82 railway stations and 68 light rail stops:
- East Rail Line: between Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau and East Tsim Sha Tsui.
- Kwun Tong Line: between Yau Ma Tei and Tiu Keng Leng
- Tsuen Wan Line: between Tsuen Wan and Central
- Island Line: between Sheung Wan and Chai Wan
- Tung Chung Line: between Tung Chung and Hong Kong
- Tseung Kwan O Line: between Po Lam and North Point
- Disneyland Resort Line: between Sunny Bay and Disneyland Resort
- West Rail Line: between Tuen Mun to Nam Cheong
- Ma On Shan Line: between Wu Kai Sha to Tai Wai.
- Airport Express: between AsiaWorld-Expo/Airport and Hong Kong
- Light Rail: 68 stations serving the northwest New Territories.
[edit] Trams
- Hong Kong Tramways: Double-decker trams, running on the north shore of Hong Kong Island from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan.
- Peak Tram: Actually a funicular railway with six stations, connecting Central and the Victoria Peak.
- Po Fook Hill Elevator: Another tiny funicular railway with two stations, connecting the car park and the upper section of Po Fook Hill Cemetery.
Note that the KCRC Light Rail system (see above) has many of the attributes of a tramway, including street running.
[edit] Cross-border services
Commonly known as Through Train (chi. 直通车), the MTRC and railway companies of mainland China jointly provide cross-border train services from Hung Hom Station, Kowloon, sharing most of the tracks with the East Rail Line, to destinations in mainland China through neighbouring Shenzhen on three Through Train routes, namely Beijing line (to/from Beijing), Shanghai line (to/from Shanghai) and Guangdong line (to/from Zhaoqing and Guangzhou East). They are operated through the rail network in mainland China, including the Guangshen Railway and Jingguang Railway.
[edit] Automated People Mover
There is an Automated People Mover (APM)[1], a driverless electric train service, which is located at the basement level of Terminal 1 of Hong Kong International Airport. It travels the length of the 750-metre concourse between the East Hall and West Hall on a circular mode. At a speed of 62 km per hour, each APM carries 304 passengers in four cars. The APM operates every 2.5 minutes from 0600 to 0030 hours everyday. It transports passengers whose flights are located at the West Hall, Southwest and Northwest concourses.
[edit] Rail gauges and power supply
Rail gauges and power supply of Hong Kong rails.
| Rail | Rail gauge | Power supply | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTR Urban Lines (Disneyland Resort Line, Island Line, Kwun Tong Line,Tseung Kwan O Line,Tsuen Wan Line,Tung Chung Line), MTR Airport Express | 1432 mm | 1500 V d.c. | overhead cable | |
| MTR Suburban Lines (East Rail Line, West Rail Line, Ma On Shan Line) | 1435 mm | 25000 V a.c. | overhead cable | same as railways in mainland China |
| MTR Light Rail | 1435 mm | 750 V d.c. | overhead cable | |
| Peak Tram | 1520 mm | n/a | n/a | funicular |
| Hong Kong Tramways | 1067 mm | 550 V d.c. | overhead cable | |
[edit] List of densely populated places without rail transport
- Hong Kong Island
- Kowloon
- Tai Wo Ping
- Tsz Wan Shan
- Sau Mau Ping and Shun Lee
- Most of Hung Hom, Ho Man Tin, To Kwa Wan, Ma Tau Wai and Kowloon City and most of San Po Kong
- New Territories
- Sheung Kwai Chung, most of Tsing Yi and Chai Wan Kok
[edit] Interchanges
[edit] References
- ^ MTR Corpororation (2003) Railway Details. Retrieved October 3, 2005.
[edit] See also
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