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Kowloon–Canton Railway

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For other uses, see Kowloon–Canton Railway (disambiguation).
File:KCR Logo.jpg

The Kowloon-Canton Railway (九廣鐵路), frequently abbreviated as the KCR, is the railway network providing intercity, suburban rapid transit and light rail passenger services in Hong Kong. The first section of the network opened in 1910 and trains were steam hauled. The network has since grown to 4 systems, 32 railway stations and 68 light rail stations. The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) is responsible for the network's operations, which is in turn fully owned by the Hong Kong Government.

Before rebranding, "Kowloon-Canton Railway" referred to the rail link between Kowloon and Canton (now Guangzhou), or specifically the "British Section" of the railway, which largely corresponded to the present-day KCR East Rail.

The Hong Kong government has proposed to merge the KCRC with the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC), another railway company in Hong Kong which has an extensive network in the areas of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Lantau Island and with 75% government ownership. Hong Kong's Executive Council formally approved the deal on April 11 2006 by leasing the KCR's operation to the MTRC for 50 years. The merger is subject to be approved by the Legislative Council and the minority shareholders of the MTRC.[1]

KCR network

File:KCR System Map.png
Current system map of the KCR with planned extensions (where the green lines belong to the MTR system)

KCR East Rail
Between East Tsim Sha Tsui and Lo Wu1

KCR Light Rail
Within towns of Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai

KCR West Rail
Between Nam Cheong and Tuen Mun

KCR Ma On Shan Rail
Between Tai Wai and Wu Kai Sha

1 Intercity services run from Hung Hom beyond Lo Wu to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and other cities.


KCR East Rail

Interior of a refurbished Metro Cammell EMU

Main article: KCR East Rail

Trains for local service on the British Section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway were originally steam powered, but diesel trains were gradually introduced during the 1950s, and by 1962 they had fully replaced all steam trains. In 1973, a modernisation programme was begun, which included double tracking and electrifying the railway. The first stage of electrification was completed with the start of an inner suburban service between Kowloon station and Sha Tin station on 6 May 1982. One year later, on 15 July 1983 the final section of the railway to Lo Wu was completed and opened by the then Governor, Sir Edward Youde. Diesel locomotives were replaced by electric multiple units.

Inter-city passenger and freight train services to cities in mainland China share most of the tracks of the local service. The service was terminated in 1949 when the communists seized power following the Chinese civil war. It was resumed in 1979 when the late leader Deng Xiaoping introduced the Open Door Policy.

In 1975, the southern terminus was moved to the new Kowloon Station (now Hung Hom) as the old Kowloon Station was too small and there was no room to expand.

The electric multiple units trains of East Rail were refurbished in the late 1990s.

KCR Light Rail

File:KCR Light Rail 1005.jpg
A KCR Light Rail train serving in route 615

Main article: KCR Light Rail

The KCR Light Rail is one of the four systems of the KCR network in Hong Kong. It serves the northwestern New Territories within and between the new towns of Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, and Tin Shui Wai. It runs on 1435 mm track gauge (standard gauge), with direct current 750 V. When Tuen Mun was developed in the 1970s, the government had set aside space for laying rail tracks. In 1983, the KCRC decided to build the system. After some research, construction commenced in 1985. The system was completed and fully operational on 25 September 1988. It consists of two big and three small loops serving most public housing estates in northern Tuen Mun and three branches: One to the On Ting Estate in the southeast, one to the Tuen Mun ferry pier in the southwest; another northern branch all the way into the town of Yuen Long, along Castle Peak Road, and a loop in Tin Shui Wai.

KCR West Rail

Interior of a KCR West Rail Train
File:A KCR West Rail train.JPG
A KCR West Rail Train at service

Main article: KCR West Rail

KCR West Rail was proposed in the early 1990s and both the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC, now the MTR Corporation Limited, MTRCL) and Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) submitted plans to the government. The government awarded the project to KCRC, and approved the first phase of the project in September 1998. Construction began in October 1998 with service commencing on 20 December 2003. It is the first new rail line built by KCRC.

The first phase of West Rail starts at Nam Cheong Station in Sham Shui Po and ends at Tuen Mun Station in Tuen Mun. The 30.5 km alignment has 9 stations and cost HK$46.2 billion. It provides interchanges with KCR Light Rail at four stations and MTR Tsuen Wan Line and Tung Chung Line in its urban section.

New trains were bought to run on the new line, and they come in seven-car sets. Extensions to nine-car trains would be possible. Stations are all air-conditioned and platform screen doors (PSDs) are built to enhance safety.

The patronage of West Rail is not very high. Critics have said that the stations are located too far away from the main residential areas, and a trip on the Light Rail is often needed to connect to the West Rail. Fares are high and the journey time is not too different from travelling by bus. Various problems on the new line, which led to service suspensions in the first few months of service, failed to ensure passenger confidence in its service. Since then, the KCR has launched campaigns to promote ridership, including reduced fares, a monthly pass and an interchange discount with buses and minibuses. Passenger numbers are now rising steadily.

An extension of West Rail, called the Kowloon Southern Link, was approved for construction in 2002 in order to extend the service to Hung Hom and connect with the rest of the KCR network. The second phase of West Rail, the Northern Link, will connect the line to the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, introducing service between the Kam Sheung Road station and Lok Ma Chau.

KCR Ma On Shan Rail

A KCR Ma On Shan Rail train approaching the station.

Main article: KCR Ma On Shan Rail

The government approved the building of KCR Ma On Shan Rail in mid-1998. Construction started in 2000 and service commenced on 21 December 2004. It runs from Tai Wai to Wu Kai Sha with a total of 9 stations. Tai Wai serves as the interchange between East Rail and Ma On Shan Rail.

Most of the line, including stations, was built elevated on reserved lands along the eastern side of Sha Tin and Ma On Shan. Trains running on this line resemble the ones running on West Rail, but are in a four-car configuration instead. Most platforms have provision for eight-car trains if patronage increases. Trains on Ma On Shan Rail run on the righthand side, an exception to Hong Kong's traffic custom. This design is to align the two southbound tracks immediately next to each other, speeding up interchange during the morning commute to Kowloon.

History of the KCR

Steam locomotive W.G. Bagnall 0-4-4T, used in former Sha Tau Kok Branch Line.

The Kowloon-Canton Railway started as a rail link between Kowloon and Guangzhou (Canton) in 1910. Its British Section, the section within Hong Kong's territory, is the present-day East Rail. (The remaining section, the Chinese Section, is the present-day Guangshen Railway Corporation (Guangzhou-Shenzhen Section), 廣深鐵路).

Originally, the railway extended from Tsim Sha Tsui across the border to Canton. After mainland China was taken over by the communists in 1949, KCR trains were no longer able to cross the border, and since then, Lo Wu has become the terminus.

The British Section opened for service in 1910 as a single track system. When it was opened, trains travelled from Yau Ma Tei Station (now Mong Kok Station) through the New Territories and up to the Chinese border at Lo Wu. The southern terminus, Kowloon Station in Tsim Sha Tsui opened slightly later.

It was originally a narrow gauge railway but was changed to standard gauge before its opening. The narrow gauge materials were later used to build the now-defunct Sha Tau Kok Railway.

After the decision to build West Rail, the "British Section" was renamed East Rail.

Originally the Railway Department of the government was responsible for the KCR's operation. In December 1982 an ordinance was enacted, establishing the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) as a public corporation wholly owned by the Hong Kong government to operate and manage the KCR.

The network was expanded in 1984, when the KCRC accepted the government's invitation to build and operate the Light Rail network in the New Territories. This came into service in September 1988.

The West Rail was proposed in the early 1990s, and was opened on 20 December 2003. The Ma On Shan Rail was opened on 21 December 2004.

KCR Feeder Buses

KCR feeder bus in service.

Feeder bus services run between KCR railway stations and nearby residential areas. There are 6 East Rail feeder bus routes operated by KMB, although they were run by the KCR in the past.

As of March 2005, there are 15 West Rail and Light Rail feeder bus routes, and one residential route. A fare is charged for these buses except when an Octopus card passenger rides to connect with the KCR.

For information of feeder bus services, see KCR Feeder Bus.

Station facilities and safety

KCRC stations and trains are equipped with a range of facilities making rail services accessible to every member of the community, including individuals with special needs. The Corporation is continuously looking for opportunities to further improve the barrier-free environment.

Passengers with special needs can call the KCRC Passenger Services Hotline, at 2929 3399, to make arrangements for assistance. Station staff will be pleased to help passengers with all KCRC services.

East Rail/Ma On Shan Rail

  • Entrances/exits at Hung Hom Station are equipped with ramps and stair-lifts for easy access.
  • Extra wide flap gates are installed at Lo Wu, Tai Wai and East Tsim Sha Tsui stations for wheelchair passengers.
  • Gangplanks to assist wheelchair users in boarding and alighting at curved platforms.
  • Wheelchair spaces, handrails and grab poles inside designated train cars for wheelchair users; wheelchair signs on platforms and outside train doors.
  • Tactile routes for the visually impaired; white line edges and tactile lines at platform edges.
  • Braille maps at station entrances.
  • Lifts in all stations fitted with Braille buttons.
  • Ticket vending machines with Braille plates and voice message functions in English and Cantonese at all stations.
  • Audible reversible gates for the visually impaired.
  • Braille signage plates on trains.
  • Induction loops to facilitate communication for hearing impaired passengers.
  • Electronic message boards with train announcements for the hearing impaired.
  • Toilet facilities for the disabled.

West Rail

  • Wheelchair spaces, handrails and grab poles inside train cars for wheelchair users; wheelchair signs on platforms and outside train doors.
  • Drop curbs and entrance ramps and drop-level ticket office counters for wheelchair users.
  • Extra wide ticket gates provided in each gate array for wheelchair passengers.
  • Tactile routes leading to station entrances, lifts, ticket gates, add value machines, ticket vending machines, and full length platforms in all stations.
  • Braille maps at main entrances and at platform levels in all stations to show the locations of major facilities for the disabled.
  • Ticket vending machines equipped with Braille plates and voice message functions in English and Cantonese.
  • Add value machines with Braille plates.
  • Audible escalator signals.
  • Induction loops to facilitate communication for hearing impaired passengers.
  • Toilet facilities for the disabled.


Light Rail

  • Ramps at each platform for wheelchair users.
  • Wheelchair space, handrails, grab poles and seats on board Light Rail vehicles for the disabled.
  • Tactile yellow line along platforms for all passengers, particularly the visually impaired.
  • Braille signage on ticket vending machine; Octopus equipment and emergency call buttons on board Light Rail vehicles.
  • Route number announcement system on board Light Rail vehicles for the visually impaired.
  • Induction loops at Customer Services Centres to assist hearing impaired passengers.

Fares and tickets

File:OctopusFrontNew.jpg
The octopus card is a very popular form of payment among travellers on the KCR network.

Currently, there are two different fare classes on the KCRC: Adult and Concessionary. Only children between the ages of 3 and 12, and senior citizens 65 years or over qualify for the concessionary rate. Unlike the MTR, the KCR does not provide a concessionary fare for students, although there is a student discount system available for students who live in Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai.

Fares on the East Rail, Ma On Shan Rail, West Rail and the Light Rail (Octopus fare system only) are based on the distance between the start and end points of the journey. The fare range for each line is as follows (as of 2005):

The fare for first-class service on the East Rail is double that of normal fares. Fares to Lo Wu are substantially higher than fares to the station just before, Sheung Shui (about $11 from East TST) because of a tariff imposed on those travelling across the border to mainland China. Meanwhile, a 10% discount currently applies to fares for the West Rail.

The Light Rail implements a zone-based fare system for single journey tickets. There are six zones in total, and adult fares range from HK$4.0-$5.8 while concessionary fares range from HK$2.0-2.9 (as of 2005).

There are two payment methods:

  • Octopus card
  • Single Journey Ticket

Octopus card

Main article - Octopus card

In 1998, the MTR and KCR started using the Octopus Access Control System as the main payment method for travel on its network, replacing the Common Stored Value Tickets. Octopus cards are rechargeable, contactless smart cards, thus money is digitally stored in the card, and the amount can be automatically calculated and deducted by Octopus card readers. The system was originally proposed and introduced by the MTR. It has been extended to different services such as minibuses, franchised buses such as the Kowloon Motor Bus and Citybus, supermarkets, and fast food restaurants. It has the potential to be further developed in other fields of services. The older, traditional magnetic ticketing system is also still in use for single journeys.

Using the Octopus card to travel on the KCR is slightly cheaper than using single journey tickets. Various discount schemes on different lines, and free or discounted transfer to other modes of transport have to be done through Octopus Card.

Rolling stock

Locomotives

  • Clyde Engineering (Australia) G12 loco: 5 diesel locomotives (1954-1957)
  • Clyde Engineering/GM (Australia) G16 loco: 4 diesel locomotives (1961-1966)
  • General Motors (Australia) G26 CU diesel loco: 3 diesel locomotives (1974-1977)
  • Siemens (Germany) ER20 loco: 5 diesel locomotives (2002)
  • Adtranz-SLM Lok 2000 loco: 2 electric locomotives (1997)
  • 0-4-4T (UK) steam loco: 2 (1924)2

Passenger Train Coaches

Light Rail

Buses

2This steam engine was once used on the Sha Tau Kok Branch Line, but since its closing in 1924, the engine has been displayed in the Tai Po Railway Museum. It has been the only steam engine in Hong Kong for over 40 years (since the KCR last used a steam engine).
3Unit E44 (cars 144-244-444) didn't undergo refurbishment, and #144 is now kept at the Tai Po Railway Museum for display.
4All Kinki Sharyo stock are purchased and imported from Japan.

Future expansion

Lok Ma Chau Spur Line

The government permitted the spur line project on 14 June 2002, after KCR proposed a better alignment to protect the wetlands in Long Yuen. Construction has started in January 2003 and service is projected to commence in mid-2007.

The 7.4 km spur line, which will connect Sheung Shui and the checkpoint at Lok Ma Chau, will help relieve the congestion of cross-border ridership at Lo Wu. The alignment of the branch has been altered several times to reduce the impact on Long Yuen, a major wetland area near the border that is a paradise for migrating birds. It will consist of a bored tunnel from Sheung Shui across Long Yuen, rising at Chau Tau onto viaducts to Lok Ma Chau station. Areas have been reserved so that a future station at Kwu Tung can be built as a stop on the spur line. There will be six trains per hour serving East Tsim Sha Tsui station, and the journey time will be 47 minutes.

Lok Ma Chau station will connect to the Shenzhen Metro's Huanggang station through a double-decker footbridge, and the station itself will provide shopping areas and immigration and customs facilities. It will also serve as the terminus for other transport modes.

The Northern Link will be a rail link which connects West Rail and the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line of East Rail. The link will also serve as a connection to the border checkpoint to mainland China for passengers of the western part of the New Territories. The Northern Link will start at Kam Sheung Road and end at Lok Ma Chau, where it will co-terminate with the East Rail Lok Ma Chau Spur Line. KCRC proposes to build a station at Chau Tau for interchange between this link and East Rail. It is reported that the line may be built as a single-track railway to achieve cost-effectiveness.

Under some of the proposals, the link will serve as one of the sections of the Regional Express, a new intercity service connecting Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

Main article: Kowloon Southern Link (KCR)

The KCRC has made proposals to plan, build, and operate the Kowloon Southern Link receiving permission for the project from the government on September 24 2002.

The 4.5 km Kowloon Southern Link will connect the West Rail Nam Cheong station with the East Rail East Tsim Sha Tsui station with an intermediate stop at West Kowloon. Upon completion, West Rail will run to Hung Hom station and East Rail will retreat its service back to Hung Hom. The station will become the interchange between East Rail, West Rail and the proposed Sha Tin-to-Central Link. Journey time from Tin Shui Wai to East Tsim Sha Tsui will be 30 minutes.

Disputes on the funding and location of Canton Road station in Tsim Sha Tsui, which was in the proposed alignment, postponed the construction by a year to 2005. Construction started on November 7 2005. The new link will start operation in 2009.

Main article: Sha Tin to Central Link

On June 25 2002 the government announced that KCRC had won its bid to build and operate the Sha Tin to Central Link. When the line is completed, the KCR network will cross Victoria Harbour and reach Hong Kong Island for the first time. Later the KCRC announced modification to the proposal, with the East Kowloon portion of the line joining Ma On Shan Rail at Tai Wai, and the cross-harbour portion joining East Rail at Hung Hom. However, the proposal has not been approved by the government yet.

On April 11, 2006, the government has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with MTRC and KCRC on merging the two railway companies.

According to the non-binding memorandum of understanding signed with the government, the current MTR lines may fully integrated the interchange stations with the Sha Tin to Central Link in order to bring more convenience to the passengers. Also, the government will conduct further studies on the proposal with the MTRC along with the Kwun Tong Line Extension. Details of the project is expected to be announced soon.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to KCR.

References

From KCRC Homepage

Government Documents

Other websites

Notes
  1. ^ Dan, Liu, editor; Xinhua (April 11 2006). "HK railway merger proposal gets green light". Retrieved April 11. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |year= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: year (link)

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