East Kowloon Line (MTR) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

East Kowloon Line was one of the original five MTR

MTR

Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...

lines proposed in the late 1970s in 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 would have connected Sheung Wan with East Kowloon, eventually becoming part of the proposed Sha Tin to Central Link

Sha Tin to Central Link

Shatin to Central Link is a proposed railway line in Hong Kong which will run from Tai Wai Station in Tai Wai to Hung Hom. The original proposal had this line running to Central, but this will now be an extension of the East Rail Line....

Initial proposal (1967)

In September 1967 the Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith & Associates of Britain

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

published a proposal to construct a mass transit system in Hong Kong, in which East Kowloon Line was called Sha Tin Line, connecting Wo Liu Hang

Wo Liu Hang

Wo Liu Hang is a place in Fo Tan, Hong Kong. The place was formerly a small plain at the shore of Sha Tin Hoi. The plain to the south has been transformed into an industrial area and a village has been erected in the hilly north. On the reclaimed land nearby, MTR Fo Tan Station has been built,...

in Fo Tan

Fo Tan

Fo Tan is a suburb of Sha Tin District, Hong Kong. It was developed as a light industrial area, but this activity has declined markedly in recent years. There are residential areas to the east, alongside the MTR line, and in the foothills to the west....

and Tsim Sha Tsui

Tsim Sha Tsui

Tsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanized area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui...

Alignment and stations

Wo Liu Hang
Wo Liu Hang
Wo Liu Hang is a place in Fo Tan, Hong Kong. The place was formerly a small plain at the shore of Sha Tin Hoi. The plain to the south has been transformed into an industrial area and a village has been erected in the hilly north. On the reclaimed land nearby, MTR Fo Tan Station has been built,...

(near Sha Tin Racecourse
Sha Tin Racecourse
Sha Tin Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin in the New Territories. It is managed by Hong Kong Jockey Club.Penfold Park is encircled by the track.-History:...

) would have been a transfer station with today's East Rail Line, and also the depot of the line.
Ha Wo Che
Sha Tin
Sha Tin
Sha Tin, also spelled Shatin, is an area around the Shing Mun River in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Sha Tin District.-Geography:...

Central (Sha Tin Park
Sha Tin Park
Sha Tin Park , formerly known as Sha Tin Central Park , is a park in 2 Yuen Wo Road, Sha Tin, Hong Kong. It is situated along the Shing Mun River in the new town of Sha Tin, next to the New Town Plaza and the Sha Tin Town Hall....

)
Shan Ha Wai (Tsang Tai Uk
Tsang Tai Uk
Tsang Tai Uk , also known as Shan Ha Wai , is a Hakka walled village in Hong Kong, and one of the best preserved...

)
Tsz Wan Shan
Tsz Wan Shan
Tsz Wan Shan is a residential area in New Kowloon, Hong Kong. Located at the foot of Temple Hill, it is administratively part of Wong Tai Sin District....

would have been 50 inches deep under Sheung Fung Street, with high-speed elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...

s like those on the West Island Line
West Island Line
The West Island Line is a rapid transit line under construction of the Hong Kong MTR metro system. Planned as an extension to Island Line, the construction of the West Island line depended on reclamation and redevelopment of Western District....

instead of escalators.
Diamond Hill would have been an interchange with Kwun Tong Line, on different levels like in Quarry Bay.
Kai Tak
Kai Tak Station
Kai Tak is a station on the proposed East-west Line of the Sha Tin to Central Link. It is named after the former Kai Tak Airport.-Neighbouring stations:...
Ma Tau Wai
Ma Tau Wai Station
Ma Tau Wai is a station on the proposed East-west Line of the Sha Tin to Central Link. It will serve the central To Kwa Wan area.-Neighbouring stations:...
To Kwa Wan
To Kwa Wan Station
To Kwa Wan is a station on the proposed East-west Line of the Sha Tin to Central Link in Hong Kong. It will serve the Kowloon City, Ma Tau Wai and northern To Kwa Wan area.-Location:...
Ho Man Tin
Hung Hom, the section from which to Tsim Sha Tsui was intended to provide connection between the relocated KCR
Kowloon-Canton Railway
The Kowloon–Canton Railway refers to a railway network in Hong Kong which is now combined with the MTR railway system, comprising rapid transit services, a light rail system and feeder bus routes within Hong Kong, and intercity passenger and freight train services to the rest of China...

terminus and Tsim Sha Tsui for transferring to the CBD
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...

on Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...

.
Tsim Sha Tsui

Initial system plan (1970)

Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith & Associates published a new report on MTR

MTR

construction in 1970, with the original Sha Tin Line cut back from Sha Tin to Diamond Hill to become East Kowloon Line, and extended across the harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sheung Wan.

Alignment and stations

The new report stated that the Sha Tin section need not be built immediately since an error was made in the 1966 census. However, the report pointed out that the cross-harbour traffic demand for the East Kowloon area would be heavy, necessitating an extension to Rumsey.

Diamond Hill
Kai Tak
Kai Tak Station
Kai Tak is a station on the proposed East-west Line of the Sha Tin to Central Link. It is named after the former Kai Tak Airport.-Neighbouring stations:...
Ma Tau Wai
Ma Tau Wai Station
Ma Tau Wai is a station on the proposed East-west Line of the Sha Tin to Central Link. It will serve the central To Kwa Wan area.-Neighbouring stations:...
To Kwa Wan
To Kwa Wan Station
To Kwa Wan is a station on the proposed East-west Line of the Sha Tin to Central Link in Hong Kong. It will serve the Kowloon City, Ma Tau Wai and northern To Kwa Wan area.-Location:...
Ho Man Tin
Hung Hom
Mariner (renamed from Tsim Sha Tsui)
Rumsey would be located under Rumsey Street
Rumsey Street
Rumsey Street is a street in Sheung Wan on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. It begins at Wing Lok Street near Cosco Tower, crossing Des Voeux Road Central and Connaught Road Central, and reaches the Victoria Harbour....

. It would be integrated with and perpendicular to the proposed Western Market station on the Island Line
Island Line (MTR)
The Island Line is one of 10 lines of the MTR, the mass transit system in Hong Kong. It runs from Sheung Wan in the Central and Western District to Chai Wan in the Eastern District. The line first opened in 31 May 1985...

. Unlike the current Sheung Wan Station, the EKL platforms were one level under Island Line platforms in the 1970 proposal. According to Urban Council sources, the current exit E of Sheung Wan Station is the approximate location of Rumsey Station.

Modified Initial System (1975)

With the withdrawal of the Japanese consortium from the MTR construction contract in 1975, the Government announced that the initial system would be reduced to 15.6 km to become the Modified Initial System. Construction arrangements would be made on the MIS to facilitate EKL construction at a later time, and the EKL would eventually be able to extend to Wo Liu Hang

Wo Liu Hang

as originally planned.

Although the 1970 proposal stated that Sha Tin District

Sha Tin District

Sha Tin District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. One of the 9 districts located in the New Territories, it covers the areas of Sha Tin, Tai Wai, Ma On Shan, Fo Tan, Siu Lek Yuen and Ma Liu Shui . The district has the highest population...

did not need a metro during the meantime, the 1975 proposal pointed out that the demand of the EKL would be too low to support construction of the line, if the Sha Tin section was not built together.

Architectural reservations

With the uncertainty on the Sha Tin extension, and with no available land to construct a depot along the remainder of the alignment, arrangements were made to let EKL use the Kowloon Bay depot of Kwun Tong Line.

Choi Hung Station

In order to prevent EKL trains from interfering with Kwun Tong Line operation when accessing the depot, a direct track was built for the required connection, which passes through Choi Hung Station.

Diamond Hill Station

According to the MIS plan, Diamond Hill Station would eventually have five tracks and eight platforms. During construction of the station, spaces were reserved for later construction, making the size of Diamond Hill greater than other stations.

Integrated Transport Study (1976)

In 1976 the Government invited a consultation company to carry out a study on transportation in Hong Kong. The resulting report proposed the Sha Tin Loop, East Kowloon Line and the Tsim Sha Tsui extension, built in stages to replace the original EKL proposal. The Loop and the TST extension did not have much difference from the 1967 proposal, although the new arrangement was to let KCRC

Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation

The Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation was established in 1982 under the Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation Ordinance for the purposes of operating the Kowloon–Canton Railway , and to construct and operate other new railways...

operate the two lines first, to be transferred to MTRC after completion of the East Kowloon Line.

Sha Tin Loop

The Sha Tin Loop was to be constructed as a branch of the Kowloon-Canton Railway

Kowloon-Canton Railway

The Kowloon–Canton Railway refers to a railway network in Hong Kong which is now combined with the MTR railway system, comprising rapid transit services, a light rail system and feeder bus routes within Hong Kong, and intercity passenger and freight train services to the rest of China...

by KCRC, in the form of a 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...

line, providing rail access from eastern Sha Tin

Sha Tin

Sha Tin, also spelled Shatin, is an area around the Shing Mun River in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Sha Tin District.-Geography:...

to the urban areas. The route was to connect East Kowloon Line after the latter's completion.

Alignment

Sha Tin Racecourse
Sha Tin Racecourse
Sha Tin Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin in the New Territories. It is managed by Hong Kong Jockey Club.Penfold Park is encircled by the track.-History:...

at Fo Tan
Fo Tan
Fo Tan is a suburb of Sha Tin District, Hong Kong. It was developed as a light industrial area, but this activity has declined markedly in recent years. There are residential areas to the east, alongside the MTR line, and in the foothills to the west....
Wo Che
Wo Che
Wo Che is an area in Sha Tin of Hong Kong. South of Fo Tan and north of proper Sha Tin, it is divided into Sheung Wo Che and Ha Wo Che , and the reclamation by Shing Mun River....

near the estate of the same name
Yuen Chau Kok
Yuen Chau Kok
Yuen Chau Kok is an area in Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, near Sha Tin Road and Prince of Wales Hospital. The area was an island in Tide Cove, and is within walking distance from City One Station of the MTR Ma On Shan Line....
Sha Tin Wai
Che Kung Temple above Tin Sum Village
Hung Mui Kuk near Hin Keng Estate

A new tunnel would be constructed to connect the Tsim Sha Tsui extension.

Eastern Harbour Tunnel

In 1984 the Government decided to construct Eastern Harbour Tunnel, carrying both road and rail, to alleviate congestion at Cross Harbour Tunnel. Kwun Tong Line was extended from Kwun Tong to Quarry Bay upon the tunnel's completion. The plan to construct East Kowloon Line was stalled with the completion of the new cross-harbour connection.

Sheung Wan Station

During the construction of Sheung Wan Station, platforms for East Kowloon Line were built together to prevent interference that later construction of the EKL might arise. In May 1986, the station was opened with the reserved EKL platforms above Island Line platforms. The ends of the platforms were shut off by brick walls, leaving only 60 metres for the platforms. Posters for the East Kowloon Line were spotted when the station first opened.

East Kowloon Corridor

During the construction of the East Kowloon Corridor

East Kowloon Corridor

East Kowloon Corridor is a highway in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is part of Route 5. It is a dual two-lane carriageway running from the exit of Kai Tak Tunnel near Sung Wong Toi Road to its junction with Ma Tau Wai Road in Hung Hom, where both roads are succeeded by Chatham Road.-Function:Since its...

in the 1970s, sheet pile walls were constructed along the alignment and stations on the proposed East Kowloon Line, so that no structural damage would be done to the viaduct during the construction of the MTR line.

Second Integrated Transport Study

In 1989 the Government issued the Airport Core Programme

Airport Core Programme

The Hong Kong Airport Core Programme was a series of infrastructure projects centred around the new Hong Kong International Airport during the early 1990s...

plan, and further postponed the construction of the East Kowloon Line for the reason of "insufficient distribution of resources". The Central and Wan Chai Reclamation

Central and Wan Chai Reclamation

Central and Wan Chai Reclamation is a project launched by the Hong Kong Government since the 1990s to reclaim land for different purposes.-Background:The project was first mentioned in the 1985 planning strategy by the Government...

plan was rearranged to facilitate construction of a fourth cross-harbour railway. KCRC

Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation

started to propose the plan of extending the KCR

Kowloon-Canton Railway

network southwards by getting involved in the new railway plan. The cross-harbour section of the East Kowloon Line was substituted by the construction of the third cross-harbour railway on Tung Chung Line, part of the proposed Airport Railway.

Third harbour rail crossing

In 1989, KCRC

Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation

handed in a new proposal to the Government, in which today's East Rail Line, then KCR

Kowloon-Canton Railway

British Section, would be extended southwards to Central

Central, Hong Kong

Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula...

via Victoria Park

Victoria Park, Hong Kong

Victoria Park is a public park in Hong Kong, named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. It is located in Causeway Bay, on the north of Hong Kong Island, between Causeway Bay and Tin Hau MTR stations...

and Central and Wan Chai Reclamation

Central and Wan Chai Reclamation

.

The Government also mentioned the possibility of extending KCR

Kowloon-Canton Railway

southwards and Kwun Tong Line to Fortress Hill on the Island Line

Island Line (MTR)

The Island Line is one of 10 lines of the MTR, the mass transit system in Hong Kong. It runs from Sheung Wan in the Central and Western District to Chai Wan in the Eastern District. The line first opened in 31 May 1985...

. Since the reclamation project involved was under discussion, the Government encouraged a new harbour rail crossing to the area of Tin Hau and Fortress Hill

Fortress Hill

Fortress Hill is a hill and an area on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is on the western end of the North Point area, and is to the east of Causeway Bay. There are a number of private residential estates, office buildings, hotels and serviced apartments in this area.-Features:*...

, with another new railway passing through the reclamation area. Consequently, the KCR proposal was ignored.

With the immediate necessity of a third cross-harbour rail link, and also the question about the necessity of a cross-harbour rail link for the Airport Railway, the Government assigned the new harbour connection to the Airport Railway.

The new crossing itself did not solve Tsuen Wan Line's fundamental problem - the line was used by both passengers from Kowloon

Kowloon

Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...

and 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...

East.

Fourth harbour rail crossing

With the assignment of the third harbour rail link to the Airport Railway, which alleviated the congestion on the Nathan Road section of Tsuen Wan Line, the Kwun Tong Line extension plan was held back for further planning and consideration. The reconsidered fourth harbour rail crossing started from Hung Hom

Hung Hom

Hung Hom is an area of Kowloon, in Hong Kong, administratively part of the Kowloon City District, with a portion west of the railway in the Yau Tsim Mong District. Hung Hom serves mainly residential purposes though is mixed with some industrial buildings in the north.-Geography:Hung Hom is located...

to Central via the reclamation area, similar to the 1989 proposal by KCRC.

Eastern Corridor

In the new railway development study in 1993, East Kowloon Line was modified to become a medium capacity system, and the alignment was cut back to Kowloon Station

Kowloon Station

Kowloon Station may refer to:*Kowloon Station, a station on the MTR Tung Chung Line and Airport Express, near West Kowloon Cultural district*Kowloon Station , the south terminus of the British Section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway at Tsim Sha Tsui , southmost of Kowloon, demolished in 1974*Former...

on the Airport Railway, forming an Eastern Corridor together with Tsim Sha Tsui Extension and Ma On Shan Rail. A reserved space for the East Kowloon Line remains under Kowloon Station.

In 1994 the Government published the Railway Development Strategy. The TST extension, Ma On Shan Rail and Tseung Kwan O Line would be constructed first. Other sections, such as the Eastern Corridor and the fourth cross harbour rail link would be reconsidered. In 1998, the Government published the third Integrated Transport Study and the second Railway Development Study, breaking the Eastern Corridor into sections and proposing numerous plans to link them up, forming today's West Rail Line, Kowloon Southern Link, Tsim Sha Tsui Extension, Sha Tin to Central Link

Sha Tin to Central Link

(including the fourth harbour rail crossing, East Kowloon Line, and the railway from Tai Wai to Diamond Hill) and Ma On Shan Line. In the same year, KCRC won the tender to construct and operate West Rail, TST Extension and Ma On Shan Rail. The East Kowloon Line became the East Kowloon section of the Sha Tin to Central Link.

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