ENG-1995 — Page 286

TRANSPORT

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underground railways in the world. Adult fares ranged from $4 to $11 per trip, according to distances travelled.

Construction of the Airport Railway is progressing to programme. When opened for traffic in mid-1998, it will have a dedicated express service linking the new airport at Chek Lap Kok to Hong Kong Station at Central; and a separate domestic service between Lantau Island and Central, with stations at Tung Chung, Tsing Yi, Lai King, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon and Central. The domestic service will interchange with the Tsuen Wan Line of the existing MTR system at Lai King and with the Island Line at Hong Kong Station, bringing relief to the MTR Nathan Road corridor.

Kowloon-Canton Railway

The Kowloon-Canton Railway opened in 1910 and was double-tracked and elec- trified in the early 1980s. Operation of the system, formerly run by a government department, was vested in the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) in 1982.

The 34-kilometre railway provides a service to the new towns in the north-eastern New Territories, a freight service into China, and passenger services to and from Changping/Guangzhou and Foshan/Zhaoqing. The suburban service has grown substantially since electrification, and in 1995, the railway, with 13 stations, handled 632 700 passenger journeys daily. Passenger traffic was carried in a fleet of 351 cars, operated in train formations of 12 cars. Ordinary adult fares ranged from $3 to $8.

In 1995, the KCRC continued efforts to improve its facilities to the public by renovating Lo Wu station, redeveloping the Kowloon terminus, straightening the sharp curves of its track north of the University station at Pak Shek Kok, and constructing more noise barriers.

Light Rail Transit

The KCRC also operates the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system in the north-western New Territories, at Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai. The system began operating in 1988. With the commissioning of its Tin Shui Wai Phase III extension in March 1995, the system now extends over 32 kilometres with eight routes, 57 stops and a fleet of 100 cars, either operating singly or in pairs. The LRT operates zonal fares and provides free feeder-bus transfers from one route to another within zones and to and from stations. Ordinary adult fares range from $3.20 to $4.70. At the end of the year, the LRT and its feeder and auxiliary buses carried about 370 000 passengers a day.

Trams

Electric trams have operated on Hong Kong Island since 1904. Hongkong Tramways Limited has six overlapping services, using 13 kilometres of double track along the north shore of Hong Kong Island, between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan, and nearly three kilometres of single track around Happy Valley. The company's 163 trams, including two open-balcony trams for tourists and private hire, make up the only fully double-decker tram fleet in the world. Tramway patronage rose marginally during 1995, with an average of 12 720 boardings daily. Fares were $1.20 for adults and 60 cents for children. A senior citizen concessionary fare of 60 cents is offered to all persons aged 65 or above.