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Transport

Projects under Construction

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 Shatin to Central Link. Construction started in 2011. Upon commissioning, journeys between Yau Ma Tei and Whampoa will take about five minutes, compared with the current 25 minutes by road during rush hour.

The South Island Line (East) is a 7km line running between Admiralty and South Horizons, with three intermediate stations at Ocean Park, Wong Chuk Hang and Lei Tung Estate. Construction began in 2011 and, upon its commissioning, journeys between Admiralty and South Horizons. will take about 11 minutes, compared with the current 25 to 45 minutes by road during rush. hour.

The 17km long Shatin to Central Link is a strategic project providing territory-wide connections. It will have 10 stations, namely, 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 started in 2012. Upon commissioning, the Shatin to Central Link will handle about 1.1 million passenger trips per day and save about an average of 75 million hours in travelling time per year. It will provide railway service for districts including 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 to relieve the burden on the rail lines in urban Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island.

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

Future Railway Development

The government's Railway Development Strategy 2014, announced on 17 September 2014, provides a framework for planning the expansion of the railway network up to 2031. It recommends that seven railway projects be completed up to 2031 having regard to transport demand, cost effectiveness and the development needs of New Development Areas. These seven projects are the Northern Link and Kwu Tung Station, the Tuen Mun South Extension, the East Kowloon Line, the Tung Chung West Extension, the Hung Shui Kiu Station, the South Island Line (West) and the North Island Line. They will be taken forward in stages.

Tramway

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

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