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Transport

Projects under Construction

The West Island Line extends the existing Island Line from Sheung Wan to Kennedy Town, with two intermediate stations at Sai Ying Pun and the University of Hong Kong (HKU). Construction started in 2009 and the line was commissioned in December 2014 with HKU and Kennedy Town Stations opened, and Sai Ying Pun Station targeted to open in the first quarter of 2015 The train journey takes about seven minutes between Sheung Wan and Kennedy Town, compared with 15- to 25-minutes by road during rush hours.

The Kwun Tong Line Extension will extend the existing Kwun Tong Line from Yau Ma Tei to Whampoa, with two new stations at Ho Man Tin and Whampoa, including an interchange at Ho Man Tin for the future Sha Tin to Central Link. Construction started in 2011. Upon commissioning, the journey time between Mong Kok and Whampoa will be about five minutes, compared with the current 25-minute vehicular journey time during rush hours.

Construction of the South Island Line (East) (a seven-kilometre railway line running between Admiralty and South Horizons with three intermediate stations at Ocean Park, Wong Chuk Hang and Lei Tung Estate) commenced in 2011. Upon commissioning, the journey time between Admiralty and South Horizons will be about 10 minutes, compared with the current 25- to 45-minute vehicular journey time during rush hours.

Construction of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, a 26-kilometre underground railway with its terminus at West Kowloon, started in 2010. Trains will be able to run through the tunnel at a maximum speed of 200 kilometres per hour, reducing the journey time between Guangzhou and Hong Kong by train from 100 minutes to 48 minutes. The journey time to other major cities in the Mainland will also be greatly shortened.

The 17-kilometre long Sha Tin to Central Link (SCL) is a strategic project providing territory-wide connections. It will have 10 stations (Tai Wai, Hin Keng, Diamond Hill, Kai Tak, To Kwa Wan, Ma Tau Wai, Ho Man Tin, Hung Hom, Exhibition and Admiralty) and will link up a number of existing railways forming two strategic railway corridors. The 'East West Corridor' will connect Tai Wai Station on the Ma On Shan Rail Line with the West Rail Line at Hung Hom via Diamond Hill and southeast Kowloon. The 'North South Corridor' will extend the East Rail Line from Hung Hom Station across the harbour to Admiralty Station on Hong Kong Island. Construction commenced in 2012. Upon commissioning, the SCL will handle about 1.1 million passenger- trips per day, and save about 75 million hours in average travelling time per year. It will also provide railway service for districts such as Hin Keng, Kai Tak, To Kwa Wan and Ma Tau Wai which are currently not served by the railway network, and increase the capacity of the railway section. from Sha Tin to Hung Hom and across the harbour, helping relieve the existing burden on the rail lines in urban Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island.

Tramway

Electric trams have been running on Hong Kong Island since 1904. Hong Kong Tramways Limited runs seven routes on 13 kilometres of double tracks along the northern shore of Hong

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