KCR West Rail
Encyclopedia
The West Rail Line is one of the MTR
lines in Hong Kong
. It was formerly known as the KCR West Rail . It starts at Hung Hom Station in Yau Tsim Mong District
and ends at Tuen Mun Station in Tuen Mun
. Only four of its stations, East Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Austin Station, Mei Foo Station and Tsuen Wan West Station were built underground, with the others above ground.
Currently the West Rail Line only provides a local service, and resembles a metro
more than a commuter railway. However the line was built to commuter railway standard, in the expectation that it would accommodate other trains in the future.
The railway line was originally built by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
(KCRC) and was operated as part of that operator's three line network prior to its merger with the MTR Corporation
(MTRC). Operation was taken over by the MTRC on 2 December 2007, after the merger took effect. The line is still owned by the KCRC, although it is now leased to the MTRC.
from the urban area in Kowloon
was proposed in the early 1990s. Both the MTR
and the KCRC submitted plans to the government
, but ultimately the KCRC's proposal to Tin Shui Wai new town was selected. However, several major accidents on Tuen Mun Road
led to requests by residents in Tuen Mun
for a railway connection to the centre of their town. Thus the route in the final proposal deviates from the original plan (in which the line terminated in the centre of Tin Shui Wai new town), to terminate near Tuen Mun town centre.
The first phase of construction included a double-track commuter railway connecting Tuen Mun Station and Nam Cheong Station
. This system has been in operation since 20 December 2003.
after operations began. However, the HKSAR government later provided compensation to KMB because of this.
Furthermore, due to the frequent breakdowns, the chairman of KCRC
, Michael Tien
, announced that if the performance of West Rail did not improve, he would considered resigning. Although monthly passes were introduced on 1 August 2004, and the daily ridership increased to 150,000, there was still a long way to go before the KCRC's goal of 200,000 passengers was met.
Since 20 December 2004, the further discount of 20% was cancelled due to the quick recovery of the economy and a ridership increase to 170,000 per day. The monthly pass concession was extended for another half year.
A Sightseeing Bus service was run as a temporary additional service of the West Rail Line in the northwest New Territories
. This service was launched on 26 September 2004 and ended on 28 November.
For this reason, KCRC decided to spend HK$10 million to improve the signalling system, including hiring foreign railway experts and finding solutions to decrease downtime.
monitoring on trains. In January 2011 there were calls for this facility to be extended to other lines, to help prevent indecent assault
s on women.
. Then the track goes beneath the ground passing Mei Foo Station and Tsuen Wan West Station. After Tsuen Wan West Station, the track goes into the hills before emerging before Kam Sheung Road Station. The rest of the track was constructed on a viaduct where there is room for an emergency passage.
network. Octopus card
s and single ride tickets are available. All persons aged between 12 and 64 are charged the adult fare, while children (and full-time students) aged 11 or below, and elderly aged 65 or above are entitled to a concession fare. After the rail merger, passengers using Octopus cards interchanging at Mei Foo or Nam Cheong
stations to the Tsuen Wan Line or Tung Chung Line may enjoy fare concessions. The total fare is calculated with reference to the two interchanging stations (Mei Foo or Nam Cheong
, depends on the one with lower total fare), and a discount is implied on the trip.
The line is quite well known in the city for its high fare, even after the rail merger. Currently it is relatively high in the entire fare table. This is because of its high fare before merger and fare calculation for long trips (total fare $12 or above) is the same regardless to involution of interchanging, so that such "interchanging charges" still appears. Normally, its fare is significantly higher than the East Rail Line (except Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau), higher than Tung Chung Station but lower than Disneyland Resort Station. Yet in some cases, it is higher.
The line also offers day passes and monthly passes.
Monthly Passes
"Tuen Mun-Hung Hom Monthly Pass" and "Tuen Mun-Nam Cheong Monthly Pass" are stored in the Octopus Card. "Tuen Mun-Hung Hom Monthly Pass" allow the passenger to enjoy unlimited rides of the West Rail Line between Tuen Mun Station and Hung Hom Station while "Tuen Mun-Nam Cheong Monthly Pass" allow the passenger to enjoy unlimited rides of the West Rail Line between Tuen Mun Station and Nam Cheong Station. Both of them allow the passenger to enjoy unlimited rides of the Light Rail, MTR Bus and designated minibus routes within the month. "Tuen Mun-Nam Cheong Monthly Pass" are sold at $410 and holders of the $300/$370 monthly pass can continue to enjoy the $300/month offer. "Tuen Mun-Hung Hom Monthly Pass" are sold at $480 and holders of the $370/$300 monthly pass can continue to enjoy the $370/month offer.
It should be noticed that if monthly pass users take rides outside the areas specified for the pass, an extra fare will be deducted from the octopus card. It is equal to the fare from the station towards Mei Foo, Nam Cheong
, East Tsim Sha Tsui (only for Tuen Mun-Hung Hom Monthly Pass) or Hung Hom (only for Tuen Mun-Hung Hom Monthly Pass), depends on the lowest one. Full fare will be charged if the user takes rides without involving any West Rail Line stations.
Day Passes
"Tuen Mun-Nam Cheong Day Pass" is in the form of a magnetic ticket, plus a paper folder which is called the "Boarding Pass" for the free interchange to MTR Bus and Light Rail. They are sold at $20, and the passenger can enjoy unlimited rides of the West Rail Line between Tuen Mun Station and Nam Cheong Station, Light Rail and MTR Bus within the service day. They need to use the ticket to pass through the entry / exit gates at West Rail Line stations. When travelling on buses, they need to present the ticket with the boarding pass when they board. When travelling on the Light Rail, they need to present the ticket with the boarding pass during ticket inspection. Holders of 10 "Tuen Mun-Nam Cheong Day Pass" can exchange for a new "Tuen Mun-Nam Cheong Day Pass" at West Rail Line Stations.
Notes
* Proposed
# Under construction
2 Tsuen Wan West Station of the and Tsuen Wan Station of are not physically linked. However, green minibus
route 95K is provided between the two stations (free transfer with an immediate West Rail Line journey record on the Octopus card
). Journey time is 15–20 minutes Tsuen Wan Station on foot.
s mounted on the train (EMU SP1900
) roof exploded. It was suspected that the overheated transformer caused its insulating oil to vapourise, thus causing the explosion. The train borne circuit breaker, which was connected in parallel to the voltage transformer to the train pantograph, was not designed to isolate this kind of fault.
After the incident, all SP1900 EMUs have the voltage transformers replaced. The new voltage transformers are German-made dry type transformers, which will not catch fire even if they fail.
This incident occurred in a tunnel on the southbound section between Kam Sheung Road and Tsuen Wan West, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Tsuen Wan West. Around 650 passengers had to evacuate through the dark tunnel to the station, and around 340 people returned to the ground through a ventilation shaft at Chai Wan Kok
. Eleven people were sent to hospital. Train services returned to normal after 4 hours.
As an apology, the West Rail was opened for free rides on 21 February 2007, the first working day after the Chinese New Year
holiday.
In the latest Sha Tin to Central Link proposal, West Rail Line, which terminates in Hung Hom Station, will extend northwards to connect Ma On Shan Line in Tai Wai Station.
There were suggestions to use the tracks of the West Rail Line to accommodate the future Regional Express to Guangzhou
via Shenzhen
. However, dedicated corridor option has been decided during the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference held on August 2007.
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 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...
. It was formerly known as the KCR West Rail . It starts at Hung Hom Station in Yau Tsim Mong District
Yau Tsim Mong District
Yau Tsim Mong District is one of 18 districts of Hong Kong, located on western Kowloon peninsula. It is the core urban area of Kowloon. The district has the third highest population density of all districts...
and ends at Tuen Mun Station in Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun is a town near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in Hong Kong which can be dated back to the Neolithic period. In the more recent past, it was home to many Tanka fishermen who gathered at the Castle...
. Only four of its stations, East Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Austin Station, Mei Foo Station and Tsuen Wan West Station were built underground, with the others above ground.
Currently the West Rail Line only provides a local service, and resembles a metro
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...
more than a commuter railway. However the line was built to commuter railway standard, in the expectation that it would accommodate other trains in the future.
The railway line was originally built by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
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...
(KCRC) and was operated as part of that operator's three line network prior to its merger with the MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation Limited is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange and included in the Hang Seng Index. MTR owns and runs the Hong Kong MTR metro system, and is also a major property developer and landlord in Hong Kong...
(MTRC). Operation was taken over by the MTRC on 2 December 2007, after the merger took effect. The line is still owned by the KCRC, although it is now leased to the MTRC.
History
A railway to the northwestern New TerritoriesNew 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...
from the urban area in 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...
was proposed in the early 1990s. Both the 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...
and the KCRC submitted plans to the government
Government of Hong Kong
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, commonly the Hong Kong Government, is led by the Chief Executive as Head of the Government, who is also the head of the Hong Kong SAR...
, but ultimately the KCRC's proposal to Tin Shui Wai new town was selected. However, several major accidents on Tuen Mun Road
Tuen Mun Road
Tuen Mun Road is a major expressway in Hong Kong which connects Tuen Mun in the New Territories with Tsuen Wan. It is part of Hong Kong's Route 9, which circumnavigates the New Territories...
led to requests by residents in Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun is a town near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in Hong Kong which can be dated back to the Neolithic period. In the more recent past, it was home to many Tanka fishermen who gathered at the Castle...
for a railway connection to the centre of their town. Thus the route in the final proposal deviates from the original plan (in which the line terminated in the centre of Tin Shui Wai new town), to terminate near Tuen Mun town centre.
The first phase of construction included a double-track commuter railway connecting Tuen Mun Station and Nam Cheong Station
Nam Cheong Station
Nam Cheong is a Hong Kong MTR station located at the ground level beneath West Kowloon Highway, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon and opposite to Fu Cheong Estate. It is served by the Tung Chung Line and West Rail Line, providing cross-platform interchanges between Platform 1 and Platform 4 Nam...
. This system has been in operation since 20 December 2003.
Initial operation
Originally, the KCRC expected the West Rail to have a daily ridership figure of 300,000 passengers, but poor onward connections between stations and the areas they serve (only access to 30% of the population of the entire Yuen Long and Tuen Mun districts) meant that the number of commuters choosing to use the West Rail Line remained far short of the goal after opening (only 100,000 passengers by May 2004). Large-scale property developments along the West Rail were originally planned to generate new passenger demand but were delayed by government policy. The delay in constructing the West Rail itself was a problem, residents were already accustomed to other methods of transport which were already heavily developed. The KCRC was also blamed for its route planning and forceful reduction of bus services, which has mainly been provided by Kowloon Motor BusKowloon Motor Bus
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited , a company of the Transport International Holdings Limited, is the largest franchised bus operators in Hong Kong, and one of the largest privately owned public bus operators in the world...
after operations began. However, the HKSAR government later provided compensation to KMB because of this.
Furthermore, due to the frequent breakdowns, the chairman of 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...
, Michael Tien
Michael Tien
Michael Puk Sun Tien is deputy chairman of New People's Party, and the member of Tsuen Wan District Council. He is founder of The G2000 Group and the former chairman of the board of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation . He joined the Liberal Party in 2008, a party led by his elder brother,...
, announced that if the performance of West Rail did not improve, he would considered resigning. Although monthly passes were introduced on 1 August 2004, and the daily ridership increased to 150,000, there was still a long way to go before the KCRC's goal of 200,000 passengers was met.
Since 20 December 2004, the further discount of 20% was cancelled due to the quick recovery of the economy and a ridership increase to 170,000 per day. The monthly pass concession was extended for another half year.
A Sightseeing Bus service was run as a temporary additional service of the West Rail Line in the northwest 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...
. This service was launched on 26 September 2004 and ended on 28 November.
Improvement of signalling system
In August 2005, Michael Tien announced that 90% of breakdowns of the signalling system are due to failure of axle counters. Of the whole line, 45% is elevated, which makes power lines easier to be hit by lightning, leading to such breakdowns. The average distance between two stations is three kilometres, which means that engineers take extra time to repair the signalling system. The most serious breakdown occurred on 21 July 2005 and caused a delay of up to 40 minutes, which exceeds the total journey time of 30 minutes.For this reason, KCRC decided to spend HK$10 million to improve the signalling system, including hiring foreign railway experts and finding solutions to decrease downtime.
Kowloon Southern Link
On 16 August 2009, the Kowloon Southern Link from Nam Cheong to East Tsim Sha Tsui Station was opened. Simultaneously, the segment between East Tsim Sha Tsui Station and Hung Hom Station was transferred from the East Rail Line to the West Rail Line, so both services now meet and terminate at Hung Hom.CCTV
West Rail is the only MTR line to have live CCTVClosed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
monitoring on trains. In January 2011 there were calls for this facility to be extended to other lines, to help prevent indecent assault
Indecent assault
Indecent assault is an offence of aggravated assault in many jurisdictions. It is characterised as a sex crime.Indecent assault was an offence in England and Wales under sections 14 and 15 the Sexual Offences Act 1956...
s on women.
Route description
The track is mostly above ground and runs east–west. It starts at Hung Hom Station at ground level, then goes underground, passing through East Tsim Sha Tsui and Austin stations, and then to Nam Cheong Station at ground level (although the track is completely covered and sealed at this point), and it is located right of West Kowloon HighwayWest Kowloon Highway
West Kowloon Highway is a section of Route 3 in Hong Kong. This dual-3 lane highway runs for 4.2 km, connecting Western Harbour Crossing in the south with Tsing Kwai Highway in the north. While the southern section of the road is at grade, the northern part is on a viaduct in order to accommodate...
. Then the track goes beneath the ground passing Mei Foo Station and Tsuen Wan West Station. After Tsuen Wan West Station, the track goes into the hills before emerging before Kam Sheung Road Station. The rest of the track was constructed on a viaduct where there is room for an emergency passage.
Fare system
The fare system of the line generally follows the other lines on the former KCRKowloon-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...
network. Octopus card
Octopus card
The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong...
s and single ride tickets are available. All persons aged between 12 and 64 are charged the adult fare, while children (and full-time students) aged 11 or below, and elderly aged 65 or above are entitled to a concession fare. After the rail merger, passengers using Octopus cards interchanging at Mei Foo or Nam Cheong
Nam Cheong Station
Nam Cheong is a Hong Kong MTR station located at the ground level beneath West Kowloon Highway, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon and opposite to Fu Cheong Estate. It is served by the Tung Chung Line and West Rail Line, providing cross-platform interchanges between Platform 1 and Platform 4 Nam...
stations to the Tsuen Wan Line or Tung Chung Line may enjoy fare concessions. The total fare is calculated with reference to the two interchanging stations (Mei Foo or Nam Cheong
Nam Cheong Station
Nam Cheong is a Hong Kong MTR station located at the ground level beneath West Kowloon Highway, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon and opposite to Fu Cheong Estate. It is served by the Tung Chung Line and West Rail Line, providing cross-platform interchanges between Platform 1 and Platform 4 Nam...
, depends on the one with lower total fare), and a discount is implied on the trip.
The line is quite well known in the city for its high fare, even after the rail merger. Currently it is relatively high in the entire fare table. This is because of its high fare before merger and fare calculation for long trips (total fare $12 or above) is the same regardless to involution of interchanging, so that such "interchanging charges" still appears. Normally, its fare is significantly higher than the East Rail Line (except Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau), higher than Tung Chung Station but lower than Disneyland Resort Station. Yet in some cases, it is higher.
The line also offers day passes and monthly passes.
Monthly Passes
"Tuen Mun-Hung Hom Monthly Pass" and "Tuen Mun-Nam Cheong Monthly Pass" are stored in the Octopus Card. "Tuen Mun-Hung Hom Monthly Pass" allow the passenger to enjoy unlimited rides of the West Rail Line between Tuen Mun Station and Hung Hom Station while "Tuen Mun-Nam Cheong Monthly Pass" allow the passenger to enjoy unlimited rides of the West Rail Line between Tuen Mun Station and Nam Cheong Station. Both of them allow the passenger to enjoy unlimited rides of the Light Rail, MTR Bus and designated minibus routes within the month. "Tuen Mun-Nam Cheong Monthly Pass" are sold at $410 and holders of the $300/$370 monthly pass can continue to enjoy the $300/month offer. "Tuen Mun-Hung Hom Monthly Pass" are sold at $480 and holders of the $370/$300 monthly pass can continue to enjoy the $370/month offer.
It should be noticed that if monthly pass users take rides outside the areas specified for the pass, an extra fare will be deducted from the octopus card. It is equal to the fare from the station towards Mei Foo, Nam Cheong
Nam Cheong Station
Nam Cheong is a Hong Kong MTR station located at the ground level beneath West Kowloon Highway, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon and opposite to Fu Cheong Estate. It is served by the Tung Chung Line and West Rail Line, providing cross-platform interchanges between Platform 1 and Platform 4 Nam...
, East Tsim Sha Tsui (only for Tuen Mun-Hung Hom Monthly Pass) or Hung Hom (only for Tuen Mun-Hung Hom Monthly Pass), depends on the lowest one. Full fare will be charged if the user takes rides without involving any West Rail Line stations.
Day Passes
"Tuen Mun-Nam Cheong Day Pass" is in the form of a magnetic ticket, plus a paper folder which is called the "Boarding Pass" for the free interchange to MTR Bus and Light Rail. They are sold at $20, and the passenger can enjoy unlimited rides of the West Rail Line between Tuen Mun Station and Nam Cheong Station, Light Rail and MTR Bus within the service day. They need to use the ticket to pass through the entry / exit gates at West Rail Line stations. When travelling on buses, they need to present the ticket with the boarding pass when they board. When travelling on the Light Rail, they need to present the ticket with the boarding pass during ticket inspection. Holders of 10 "Tuen Mun-Nam Cheong Day Pass" can exchange for a new "Tuen Mun-Nam Cheong Day Pass" at West Rail Line Stations.
Stations
This is a list of all the stations on West Rail Line. The coloured boxes holding the station names represent the unique colour motif for the station. Unlike the former East Rail Line inherited from KCR, the stations have platform screen doors regardless of the station's level with respect to the ground except for Hung Hom station, which was originally an East Rail Line station only.| Livery Livery A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in... and Name |
District Districts of Hong Kong The Districts of Hong Kong are the 18 political areas by which Hong Kong is geographically divided. Each district has a district council, which was formerly known as a district board. The districts were established in the early 1980s, when Hong Kong was under British rule... |
Connection(s) | Date opened | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Rail Line | ||||
| Hung Hom3 | Yau Tsim Mong | 30 November 1974 (as part of East Rail Line) |
||
| East Tsim Sha Tsui3 | Tsim Sha Tsui Station Tsim Sha Tsui (MTR) Tsim Sha Tsui is an MTR station on the Tsuen Wan Line. The station, originally opened in 1979 on the Kwun Tong Line, serves the area of Tsim Sha Tsui... for |
24 October 2004 (as part of East Rail Line) |
||
| Austin3 | 16 August 2009 | |||
| Nam Cheong Nam Cheong Station Nam Cheong is a Hong Kong MTR station located at the ground level beneath West Kowloon Highway, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon and opposite to Fu Cheong Estate. It is served by the Tung Chung Line and West Rail Line, providing cross-platform interchanges between Platform 1 and Platform 4 Nam... |
Sham Shui Po Sham Shui Po Sham Shui Po, or Shamshuipo, is an area of Sham Shui Po District, Hong Kong, situated in the northwestern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, north of Tai Kok Tsui, east of Cheung Sha Wan and south of Shek Kip Mei. Sham Shui Po is known for its street market for electronic devices.-History:Sham Shui Po... |
20 December 2003 | ||
| Mei Foo | ||||
| Tsuen Wan West | Tsuen Wan Tsuen Wan Tsuen Wan is a bay in the Kowloon area of Hong Kong, opposite to Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged for the surrounding villages and fleets of fishing boats in the area. The town is around the present-day Tsuen Wan Station of the MTR... |
|||
| Kam Sheung Road | Yuen Long Yuen Long Yuen Long , formerly Un Long, is an area and town located in the northwest of Hong Kong, on the Yuen Long Plain. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin, and to the north Nam Sang Wai.-Name:The Cantonese name Yuen Long 元朗... |
Northern Link | ||
| Yuen Long | ||||
| Long Ping | ||||
| Tin Shui Wai | ||||
| Siu Hong | Tuen Mun Tuen Mun Tuen Mun is a town near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in Hong Kong which can be dated back to the Neolithic period. In the more recent past, it was home to many Tanka fishermen who gathered at the Castle... |
|||
| Tuen Mun | ||||
Notes
2 Tsuen Wan West Station of the and Tsuen Wan Station of are not physically linked. However, green minibus
Minibus
A minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
route 95K is provided between the two stations (free transfer with an immediate West Rail Line journey record on the Octopus card
Octopus card
The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong...
). Journey time is 15–20 minutes Tsuen Wan Station on foot.
Major incidents
At 9:15 am on 14 February 2007, a passenger train broke down when one of the voltage transformerTransformer
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
s mounted on the train (EMU SP1900
MTR EMU SP1900
MTR EMU SP1900 is the second model of electric multiple unit rolling stock of Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation , preceded by the Metro Cammell EMU...
) roof exploded. It was suspected that the overheated transformer caused its insulating oil to vapourise, thus causing the explosion. The train borne circuit breaker, which was connected in parallel to the voltage transformer to the train pantograph, was not designed to isolate this kind of fault.
After the incident, all SP1900 EMUs have the voltage transformers replaced. The new voltage transformers are German-made dry type transformers, which will not catch fire even if they fail.
This incident occurred in a tunnel on the southbound section between Kam Sheung Road and Tsuen Wan West, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Tsuen Wan West. Around 650 passengers had to evacuate through the dark tunnel to the station, and around 340 people returned to the ground through a ventilation shaft at Chai Wan Kok
Chai Wan Kok
Chai Wan Kok is an area in Tsuen Wan of Hong Kong. It is located at the west end of Tsuen Wan Town. While its southeast is industrial area, its hilly northeast and coastal southwest are residential...
. Eleven people were sent to hospital. Train services returned to normal after 4 hours.
As an apology, the West Rail was opened for free rides on 21 February 2007, the first working day after the Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
holiday.
Future development
The West Rail Line will be extended both to the south and north in the future. The Northern Link will go from Kam Sheung Road Station to Lok Ma Chau Station, and to Sheung Shui Station via Chau Tau Station.In the latest Sha Tin to Central Link proposal, West Rail Line, which terminates in Hung Hom Station, will extend northwards to connect Ma On Shan Line in Tai Wai Station.
There were suggestions to use the tracks of the West Rail Line to accommodate the future Regional Express to 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...
via 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...
. However, dedicated corridor option has been decided during the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference held on August 2007.
See also
- West Rail Sightseeing Bus
- Transport in Hong KongTransport in Hong KongHong Kong has a highly developed and sophisticated transport network, encompassing both public and private transport. Over 90% of the daily journeys are on public transport, making it the highest rate in the world....
- Rail transport in Hong KongRail transport in Hong KongHong Kong's rail network comprises public transport trains operated by MTR Corporation Limited . The MTRC operates the metro network of Hong Kong and the commuter rail network connecting the northeastern and northwestern New Territories with the rest of Hong Kong...