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Transport

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for public transport operators. Social distancing restrictions, school suspension and work from home arrangements meant that passenger trips on public transport in 2020 were 28 per cent down on 2019. Various infection control measures were implemented, including mandatory mask-wearing on public transport and enhanced cleansing and disinfection. The government's Anti-epidemic Fund provided a range of subsidies to public transport operators, including for fuel, wages, repair and maintenance costs and insurance premiums.

Rail Transport

MTR

Railways are safe, reliable, efficient, comfortable and environment-friendly mass carriers. Hong Kong's railway system forms the backbone of the public transport system and is essential to the city's continued economic, social and land development. It carried a daily average of some 3.5 million passengers in 2020, accounting for about 39 per cent of public transport passenger travel.

The railway system is operated and managed by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), a publicly listed company of which the government is the majority shareholder. It comprises:

⚫ the Kwun Tong Line (Tiu Keng Leng-Whampoa)

• the Tsuen Wan Line (Tsuen Wan-Central)

• the Island Line (Chai Wan-Kennedy Town)

• the Tseung Kwan O Line (Po Lam/Lohas Park-North Point)

⚫ the South Island Line (South Horizons-Admiralty)

the Tung Chung Line (Hong Kong-Tung Chung)

⚫ the Disneyland Resort Line (Sunny Bay-Disneyland Resort)

⚫ the Airport Express (Hong Kong-AsiaWorld-Expo)

the East Rail Line (Hung Hom-Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau)

⚫ the West Rail Line (Tuen Mun-Hung Hom)

• the Tuen Ma Line Phase 1 (Wu Kai Sha-Kai Tak)

⚫ the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL)

⚫ the Light Rail

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