Lo Wu station

Lo Wu (Chinese: 羅湖; Cantonese Yale: Lòwù; pronounced: [lɔ̏ːwȕː]) is the northern terminus of the East Rail Line (Kowloon-Canton Railway) of Hong Kong, located in Lo Wu within the Closed Area on Hong Kong's northern frontier. The station serves as a primary checkpoint for rail passengers between Hong Kong and mainland China and vice versa, rather than serving a specific area. It is also the northernmost railway station in Hong Kong.

This article is about the rapid transit station in Hong Kong. For the Shenzhen Metro interchange across the border, see Luohu station.

Lo Wu 羅湖
MTR rapid transit station
Platform 2
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	羅湖
Simplified Chinese	罗湖
Jyutping	lo4wu4
Hanyu Pinyin	Luóhú
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Luóhú Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Lòwù IPA [lɔ̏ːwȕː] Jyutping lo4wu4
General information
Location	Lo Wu Station Road, Lo Wu North District, Hong Kong
Coordinates	22°31′42″N 114°06′48″E
Owned by	Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation
Operated by	MTR Corporation
Line(s)	East Rail line
Platforms	4 (Spanish solution: 2 side platforms and island platform)
Tracks	2
Connections	Main line Shenzhen railway station, Shenzhen Metro      Line 1 Luohu station
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Platform levels	1
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Status	Temporary closed
History
Opened	14 October 1949 (1949-10-14)
Electrified	1983
Traffic
Passengers (2012)	240,000 daily entries and exits[1]
Services
Preceding station MTR Following station Sheung Shui towards Hung Hom East Rail line Terminus Across mainland China–Hong Kong boundary Preceding station Shenzhen Metro Following station Guomao towards Airport East Line 1 transfer at Luohu Terminus
Track layout to Shenzhen Hong Kong SAR boundary 2 4 1 3 Lo Wu freight yard to Sheung Shui
Location
Lo Wu Location within the MTR system

History

When the Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) first went into service, trains did not stop at Lo Wu, as there was no border patrol at the time.[2] However, shortly after the People's Republic of China was created in October 1949, the KCR announced that trains would terminate at Lo Wu, and that passengers would be able to cross the border on foot.

After the economic reformation of China, cross-border traffic increased substantially. During the 1980s, Lo Wu station was completely redeveloped. On 15 January 1987, the new Lo Wu station was formally opened.

Refurbishment work of the station started in 2002 and new facilities such as a group waiting area and new ticket gates were introduced. Since 28 December 2004, this station also serves as the interchange station for the Shenzhen Metro Luohu station, which shares the same Chinese name.

Station layout

Platform 4 was built in 2004 to accommodate increasing passenger numbers. Before the completion of refurbishment works, trains would stop at the island platform for simultaneous alighting and boarding. The platform was always crowded during the time. The building of platform 4 and converting platform 1 (which was rarely used before the refurbishment) for boarding improved passenger flow. Since then, trains have been emptied with doors opened towards platforms 2 and 3 for passengers getting off; afterwards, the doors are opened to platforms 1 and 4 for boarding passengers.

Automatic doors limit the number of people that are allowed on the platform. Two large glass sliding doors close about a minute after the train pulls in for boarding. These doors are located after the area for validating at the ticket barriers, but before the platforms area. Even with this system in place, passengers may have to wait for the next train to arrive before they can travel back towards Hung Hom, as alternate trains pull into each paired platform. This layout makes use of the Spanish solution.

Footbridge	Upper Level Concourse (Mainland China to HK)	Hong Kong Immigration Department and Customs and Excise Department checkpoints, Customer Service, HK Tourism Commission Office, Starbucks Coffee
Ground/Footbridge	Lower Level Concourse (HK to mainland China)	Fare adjustment, Immigration Department and Customs and Excise Department checkpoints, duty-free shop, Lo Wu resident exit
Platforms
	-	Track for Intercity trains
	Side platform (inbound), doors will open on the right
	Platform 1 ↑ / 2 ↓	←      East Rail line towards Hung Hom (Sheung Shui) →      East Rail line termination platform →
	Island platform (outbound), doors will open on the left, right
	Platform 3 ↑ / 4 ↓	→      East Rail line termination platform → ←      East Rail line towards Hung Hom (Sheung Shui)
	Side platform (inbound), doors will open on the left

[3]

Exits

The station has three exits:

• The Lo Wu Immigration Control Point, where passengers enter mainland China. Passengers must have valid travel documents to use this exit.[4]
• Two exits out to Lo Wu area, guarded by a police officer. To use this exit one must possess a Lo Wu Resident Card or a Closed Area Permit, which must be obtained at the Sheung Shui Police Station in Fanling.[4]
  • A1: Tak Yuet Lau, Liu Pok Village
  • A2: Lo Wu Village, Sandy Ridge Cemetery

Incidents

On February 2, 2020, 2 explosive devices were found at Lo Wu Station.[5]

See also

• Lo Wu
• Lo Wu Bridge
• Lo Wu Control Point
• Luohu (Shenzhen side)
• Luohu Station (Shenzhen side)

References

1. "LCQ6 Annex II – Services of MTR East Rail Line and Ma On Shan Line and KMB in North District: Patronage and Train Loading of the MTR East Rail Line and Ma On Shan Line in the Past Five Years" (PDF). HKSAR Government. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUKzrxtlZwI
3. "Lo Wu Station layout" (PDF). MTR Corporation. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
4. "Lo Wu Station street map" (PDF). MTR Corporation. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
5. "Explosives found at train station on Hong Kong's border with mainland China". South China Morning Post. 2 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.

External links

• Media related to Lo Wu Station at Wikimedia Commons