Sai Ying Pun station

Sai Ying Pun (Chinese: 西營盤) is a station on the Hong Kong MTR Island Line. It serves the neighbourhood of Sai Ying Pun and the western part of Mid-Levels in northwestern Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Sai Ying Pun station was opened on 29 March 2015, completing the West Island Line extension of the Island Line.[3]

Sai Ying Pun 西營盤
MTR rapid transit station
Platform 1
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	西營盤
Simplified Chinese	西营盘
Literal meaning	West barracks plate
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xīyíngpán Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization sai1 ying4 pun4 IPA [sɐ́i jɪ̏ŋ pʰȕːn] Jyutping sai1 jing4 pun4
General information
Location	Intersections between High Street, Centre Street, and Third Street, Sai Ying Pun Central and Western District, Hong Kong
Coordinates	22°17′08″N 114°08′34″E
Operated by	MTR Corporation
Line(s)	Island line
Platforms	2 (island platform)
Connections	Bus, public light bus, tram
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Depth	50[1] metres (160 ft)
Platform levels	1
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	SYP
History
Opened	29 March 2015 (2015-03-29)[1][2]
Services
Preceding station MTR Following station HKU towards Kennedy Town Island line Sheung Wan towards Chai Wan
Track layout to HKU 2 1 to Sheung Wan
Location
Sai Ying Pun Location within the MTR system

Sai Ying Pun serves as an intermediate station on the West Island Line, as opposed to a transfer station to another line serving the Southern District with the same name as in some previous plans.

Plans for the station first appeared in Hong Kong Mass Transit: Further Studies in 1970. It was to be built as part of the Island Line in the 1980s, but construction of the line did not commence westwards beyond Sheung Wan, due to inadequate forecast passenger numbers and technical difficulties identified by contractors.

History

Proposed locations

In Outline Zoning Plan No. S/H3/20, the Planning Department of the government indicated one possible location under Des Voeux Road West at Ko Shing Street as of December 2003. A ventilation shaft marked with MTR notices can be found at the intersection. A large void facing Des Voeux Road West, sealed, can also be found at a nearby medical centre, which some have speculated that it was reserved for a to-be-built exit. These findings suggest that this was original proposed location.[4]

However, in proposals submitted to the government by the MTR in May 2002, the proposed station was shifted further west to the intersection of Des Voeux Road West and Water Street.[5]

In March 2004, the MTR moved the station back east but south of the initial alignment under King George V Memorial Park. A source from MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) revealed to the local newspaper Ming Pao that this location was chosen to avoid any nuisance during works under major roads. The location would also better suit the needs of Mid-Levels residents, the source said.

Design and construction

The MTR Corporation let out a tender for the construction of the Sai Ying Pun and HKU stations and 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) of tunnel. In 2009 the design and architecture work was awarded to Aedas in a joint venture with AECOM.[6] In March 2010 it was awarded to a joint venture of Gammon Construction and Nishimatsu Construction (西松建設) for HK$4.7 billion.[7] Construction commenced in 2010 and was completed in 2015. The station opened later than the other two on the West Island Line due to construction delays resulting from soft ground conditions. Exit B3 construction was delayed for the same reason.[3][8] Other elements of the construction included demolition of the Centre Street cooked food centre, the Ki Ling Lane children's playground, and the Whitty Street public toilet.[9]

The station is home to a work of art entitled "Street Scenes of Sai Ying Pun", a collage of monochrome photos by artist Tse Ming-chong and the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation. It is located between the concourse and Exit B1/B2.[10]

The pedestrian passage between Exit A and the concourse is very long, and has drawn complaints from some residents.[11]

Island line western extension opened on 28 December 2014, but Sai Ying Pun station did not open until 29 March 2015.

Station layout

G	Ground level	Exits/Entrances
C	Concourse	Customer Service, MTRShops
P Platforms	Platform 1	→      Island line towards Chai Wan (Sheung Wan) →
	Island platform, doors will open on the right
	Platform 2	←      Island line towards Kennedy Town (HKU)

[12]

Entrances and exits

• A1: Queen's Road West (near Sai Woo Lane)[13][14]
• A2: Des Voeux Road West (near Health Gate Medical Centre)[13][14]
• B1: First Street[13][14]
• B2: Second Street[13][14]
• B3: Queen's Road West (near Western Street)[13][14]
• C: Bonham Road (near David Trench Rehabilitation Centre)[13][14]

Exit B3 (Ki Ling Lane) opened on 27 March 2016; its construction was delayed by soft conditions. Lifts were opened for public use on 25 June 2016.[1][15]

• 
  Entrance and Exit A1
• 
  Entrance and Exit A2
• 
  Entrance and Exit B1
• 
  Entrance and Exit B2
• 
  Entrance and Exit B8
• 
  Entrance and Exit C

References

1. "Extension of Island Line to Western District". MTR Corporation. Archived from the original on 26 April 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
2. "West Island Line targets to open in December 2014, 90% of works complete" (PDF). MTR Corporation. 29 May 2014.
3. Kao, Ernest (29 March 2015). "MTR fans queue to become first to use Sai Ying Pun station". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
4. http://www.ozp.tpb.gov.hk/pdf/S_H3_20_e.pdf
5. http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/extensions/WIL&SIL_Summary.pdf#page=2
6. "Spectrum Asia Issue 02/April 2011" (PDF). AECOM.
7. "MTR West Island Line progresses". Railway Gazette International. 31 March 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
8. "Projects West Island Line Work Progress".
9. "West Island Line Construction Progress Update". November 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
10. http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/community/art_archi_syp_st_scenes.html
11. Kao, Ernest; Cheung, Elizabeth (30 March 2015). "Hong Kong's MTR network opens new station in Sai Ying Pun". South China Morning Post. p. C4.
12. "Sai Ying Pun Station layout" (PDF). MTR Corporation. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
13. Site Plan of Sai Ying Pun Station, West Island Line EIA Reports
14. "Sai Ying Pun Station street map" (PDF). MTR Corporation. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
15. Beatrice Siu (30 May 2014). "Another MTR headache as West Island Line delayed". The Standard. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.

• Yung, Chester and Chung, Danny. "Western on the MTR track". (1 July 2005). The Standard.

External links

• Notes for Outline Zoning Plan No. S/H3/20 (Planning Department) showing one of the possible locations
• History of West Island Line (Hong Kong West Island Line Concern Group) information about the reserved space (in Chinese)