20.
On Sunday 3rd April, 1977 and Tuesday, 5th April, 1977 (the Ching Ming Festival Day), 20 and 27 special trains were operated in addition to the normal daily train services and 82,929 and 97,279 passengers were carried respectively. The majority went to Wo Hop Shek and Sandy Ridge Cemeteries.
21.
On Tuesday, 21st June, 1977 (The Dragon Boat Festival), 9 special trains were run to convey the passengers to see the Dragon Boat race held at Tai Po (Yuen Chau Tsai). Altogether 39,285 passengers were conveyed to all stations.
22.
On Sunday, 16th October, 177, Friday, 21st October, 1977 (the Chung Yeung Festival Day) and Sunday, 23rd October, 1977, 25, 20 and 25 special trains were operated respectively and 84,846, 63,518 and 68,124 passengers were carried respectively. The majority went to Wo Hop Shek and Sandy Ridge Cemeteries.
23.
On Thursday, 9th February, 1978, the Third Day in the First Moon of the Lunar calendar, a total of 85,804 passengers were conveyed to all stations. On 5th February, 1978, two days before the Chinese New Year Day, a total of 24,326 passengers were conveyed to Lo Wu and this was a record.
Fares and Rates
24.
Six power-operated ticket printing and issuing machines were put into use in the booking office of Kowloon Station on 4th April, 1977. These machines, costing a total of about $680,000 were each capable of issuing up to 200 tickets per minute, thus reducing considerably the waiting time in buying tickets at peak travelling periods and on holidays when passenger traffic was heavy.
25.
For the sake of non-smoking passengers, 50% of the carriages of each train were designated 'No Smoking' with effect from 6th December, 1977. International signs and wording of 'No Smoking' were painted on the windows and doors for the guidance of passengers.
Freight Traffic
26.
The Fo Tan Goods Yard in Sha Tin was completed and unloading facilities for diesel oil at the sidings were put into operation on 25th April, 1977. The oil unloaded at this goods yard is stored in the four oil tanks nearby which were built and owned by the China Resources Company in Hong Kong. The sidings may also be used for unloading kerosene, liquid patroleum gas and dry goods if required.
27.
The goods yard at Mong Kok Station mostly used for the unloading of livestock, fresh fish and eggs in the past was closed on 11th October, 1977 to make way for the remodelling works at Mong Kok Station. As a result, these unloading activities were temporarily transferred to Ho Man Tin Goods Yard.
28.
The first stage of construction works of the marshalling yard at Lo Wu was largely completed and will become operational by the end of 1978. Goods wagons from China will be remarshalled in the yard according to their destinations and commodities before they are despatched from Lo Wu.