ENG-2004 — Page 324

274 Transport

by two to three minutes and enhance the safety of Light Rail. To allow rail passengers to enjoy better feeder service, the KCRC also ran a total of 22 bus routes providing services to East Rail, West Rail and Light Rail passengers.

The KCRC also provides inter-city through train services from Hong Kong to cities in Guangdong as well as to Shanghai and Beijing. Apart from passenger services, the KCRC provides rail freight services to some 60 cities in the Mainland.

While operating railway lines totalling more than 110 kilometres, the corporation has been making progress to construct and plan new railway lines, including the Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, the Kowloon Southern Link and the Sha Tin to Central Link, to meet the increasing demand for rail services.

The former Mass Transit Railway Corporation was established by statute in 1975 to operate the MTR. In February 2000, the Legislative Council passed legislation to privatise a portion of the Government's shares in the company. The MTRCL was listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in October that year. The first passenger train service on the Kwun Tong Line of the MTR began in 1979. The MTR was subsequently expanded to include the Tsuen Wan Line (1982), the Island Line (1985), the Eastern Harbour Crossing rail tunnel which connects the Kwun Tong Line to Quarry Bay (1989), the Tung Chung Line (1998) and the Tseung Kwan O Line (2002). The MTR carries a weekday average of 2.4 million passengers. The company also operates the Airport Express Line, a dedicated rail link between the airport and the city centre. The Airport Express Line carried a daily average of 22 000 passengers.

Apart from operating the heavily patronised MTR network of 87.7 kilometres in length, MTRCL is constructing the Disneyland Resort Line for target completion in 2005 to provide rail service from Sunny Bay to Hong Kong Disneyland, which will open in September 2005.

Tramway

Electric trams have been operating on Hong Kong Island since 1904. The Hong Kong Tramways Limited operates six routes on 13 kilometres of double track along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan, and about three kilometers of single track around Happy Valley.

The company's 164 trams, including two open-balcony trams for tourists and private hire and one special maintenance tram, make up the world's largest fleet of double-deck trams in operation. The trams record a daily average of 232 000 passenger trips. Fares are $2 for adults and $1 for children aged under 12 and senior citizens aged 65 or above.

Peak Tram

Hong Kong's other tramway is a cable-hauled funicular railway operated by the Peak Tramways Company Limited from Central (Garden Road) to the Peak. The 1.4-kilometre tramway began operation in 1888 and was modernised in 1989. The Peak Tram recorded an average of 11 000 passenger trips a day, mostly consisting of tourists and local sightseers. One-way fares for adults, children aged under 12 and senior citizens aged 65 or above were $20, $6 and $7 respectively.