Tung Chung Line

The HK-MTR lines|Tung Chung is one of the 10 lines of the MTR system in Hong Kong. It links Tung Chung with Hong Kong Island. A part of the Tung Chung Line was built along with the Kap Shui Mun Bridge and the Tsing Ma Bridge. It currently travels through 8 stations in 27 minutes along its route.

The line is indicated with the colour orange.

History

In October 1989, the Hong Kong government decided to replace the over-crowded Kai Tak International Airport, located in Kowloon, with a new airport to be constructed at Chek Lap Kok. The government also invited the MTR, then called the MTRC, to build a train line to the airport called the Lantau Airport Railway. The project did not begin until the Chinese government and the British government settled financial and land disagreements in November 1994.

The Lantau Airport Railway turned into two MTR lines, the Tung Chung Line as well as the HK-MTR lines|Airport Express. On 21 June 1998, the Tung Chung Line was officially opened by Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa, and service commenced the next day.

On 16 December 2003, an open house for charity took place at the recently completed Nam Cheong Station, an interchange station between the Tung Chung Line and the HK-MTR lines|West Rail. The station closed on 19 December 2003 in preparation for the opening of West Rail, and it was officially opened to the public on 20 December 2003. At the same time, the numbers of car units per train increased from 7 to 8.

On 1 June 2005, Sunny Bay Station, the interchange station for HK-MTR lines|Disneyland Resort (DRL), opened 2 months prior to the opening of DRL.

Between 2006 and 2007, four new Korean-built trains were added in to Tung Chung Line to improve frequencies. The first train was received on 9 February 2006 and entered service on June 12, 2006. However, since the new trains were found to be few millimetres wider than the existing trains, some modifications were made to station platforms. [ [http://hk.news.yahoo.com/060510/12/1npdw.html] Dead link|date=March 2008]

Route map

Route description

The Tung Chung Line, unlike most urban MTR lines, is mostly above ground. At the same time, most of the line runs along the HK-MTR lines|Airport Express. The Tung Chung Line runs from the east to west. The line is underground from Hong Kong station and crosses the harbour to Kowloon Station. The line then emerges to the surface, outside Olympian City 2, to reaches Olympic Station at the surface.

After Olympic station, the line runs at ground level beneath the West Kowloon Expressway, stopping at Nam Cheong Station. Then, the line rises above the ground onto a viaduct, which is also built under the West Kowloon Expressway. The viaduct leads a tunnel in the hills near Lai King. It emerges shortly at Lai King Station to provide cross-platform interchange with the HK-MTR lines|Tsuen Wan.

The line remains on viaduct past Lai King station, and crosses Rambler Channel on the Tsing Lai Bridge to Tsing Yi Island, where it enters Tsing Yi Station. Having passed Tsing Yi station, the line enters another tunnel through the hills of Tsing Yi. It travels on the Tsing Ma Bridge and the Kap Shui Mun Bridge.

Eventually, the line leaves the tunnel, and travels on the surface along the North Lantau Expressway. It stops at Sunny Bay Station on the way. The line then shares tracks with the Airport Express before splitting from it just before it reaches Tung Chung New Town. Having re-entered the tunnel, the line terminates at Tung Chung Station, located underground.

Stations

The following is a list of all the stations on the Tung Chung Line. The coloured boxes holding the station names represent the unique colour motif for the station.

Future development

The Tung Chung Line was designed to facilitate an extension from Hong Kong Station eastward. According to the Rail Projects Under Planning 2000 released by Hong Kong Highways Department, two new stations, Tamar Station and Exhibition Station, will form part of the extension. The line will then connect Fortress Hill Station and take up the eastern portion of the HK-MTR lines|Island.

See also

* MTR
* North Island Line
* Transport in Hong Kong
* List of areas of Hong Kong

References

Crossings navbox
structure=Tunnel crossings
place=Victoria Harbour
bridge=Tung Chung Line and Airport Express between Kowloon and Hong Kong
upstream=Western Harbour Crossing
upstream text=West
downstream=Tsuen Wan Line between Tsim Sha Tsui and Admiralty
downstream text=East