Tung Chung line

The Tung Chung line is one of the eleven rapid transit lines of the MTR system in Hong Kong, linking the town of Tung Chung with central Hong Kong. A part of the Tung Chung line was built along with the Kap Shui Mun Bridge and the Tsing Ma Bridge. The line currently travels through eight stations in 27 minutes along its route. The line is coloured orange on the map.

Tung Chung line
東涌綫
Tung Chung line train approaching Sunny Bay station
Overview
TypeCommuter Rail
SystemMTR
LocaleDistricts: Central and Western, Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan, Islands
TerminiHong Kong
Tung Chung
Stations8
Ridership236,900 daily average
(weekdays, September 2014)[1]
Operation
Opened21 June 1998 (1998-06-21)
Depot(s)Siu Ho Wan
Rolling stock
Technical
Line length31.1 km (19.3 mi)
Track gauge1,432 mm (4 ft 8 3⁄8 in)
Electrification1.5 kV DC
Operating speed135 km/h (84 mph)
Route map
Tseung Kwan O line (NIL)
to Po Lam or LOHAS Park
 Tamar     
Tsuen Wan line
to Tsuen Wan
Island line
to Chai Wan
Central          
 Hong Kong     
Island line
to Kennedy Town
Victoria Harbour
Kowloon     
(W. Kowloon)
 Olympic
West Rail line
to Hung Hom
 Nam Cheong     
West Rail line
to Tuen Mun
Tsuen Wan line
to Central
 Lai King     
Tsuen Wan line
to Tsuen Wan
Tsing Lai Bridge
 Tsing Yi     
Tsing Ma Bridge
Kap Shui Mun Bridge
Disneyland Resort line
to Disneyland Resort
 Sunny Bay     
Siu Ho Wan depot
 Siu Ho Wan
Tung Chung East
Airport Express
to AsiaWorld–Expo
 Tung Chung
(Cable Car)
 Tung Chung West
Tung Chung line
Traditional Chinese東涌綫
Literal meaningEast (of a) branch of a river — 東涌

History

In October 1989, the Hong Kong government announced plans to build a new airport on the remote island of Chek Lap Kok to replace the overcrowded Kai Tak International Airport at the heart of Kowloon.

As part of the initiative, the government invited the MTR Corporation to build a rail link to the new airport dubbed the Lantau Airport Railway. The project initially saw opposition from the Chinese government as it feared the construction would drain the monetary reserve of the Hong Kong government and leave the Chinese with nothing after the British handed the territory over in 1997.

Both the Chinese and British governments reached an agreement and construction commenced in November 1994.

The Lantau Airport rail link consists of two train lines, the Tung Chung line and the Airport Express. Both lines deploy the same rolling stock with minor differences in interior fittings and liveries.

On 21 June 1998, the Tung Chung line was officially opened by 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 between the Tung Chung line and soon to be opened West Rail line. The station then closed on 19 December 2003 in preparation for the opening of the new West Rail Line, and it was officially opened to public on 20 December 2003. Since then, the number of cars per train has increased from seven to eight to accommodate the additional patronage.

Sunny Bay station opened on 1 June 2005 as an interchange for the Disneyland Resort line. The resort opened its door two months after the station became operational.

Between 2006 and 2007, four new trains entered service to improve service frequency. The first train was delivered on 9 February 2006 and entered service on 12 June 2006. Modifications were added to the platforms to accommodate the new trains, which are a few millimetres wider than the original rolling stock.

Route map
MTR Tung Chung line and Airport Express route map

Route description

Unlike most other railway lines in the system, the Tung Chung Line travels mostly above ground and spans a greater distance. The line shares its trackage with the Airport Express before diverging in Tung Chung.

The line travels underground from Hong Kong station to Kowloon station across the harbour, then surfaces to the ground to reach Olympic station. Trains continue to travel above ground along the West Kowloon Expressway and stops at Nam Cheong station, followed by Lai King station on a viaduct. Thereafter the line crosses the Rambler Channel and stops at Tsing Yi station on Tsing Yi Island.

Trains then enter a tunnel through the hills of the island and continues on the Tsing Ma Bridge and the Kap Shui Mun Bridge onto Lantau Island. The line continues along the North Lantau Expressway and stops at Sunny Bay before terminating at Tung Chung. The distance between the two stops is roughly 10 km and takes approximately 6 minutes to complete.

Some outbound trains do not continue to Lantau but terminate at Tsing Yi station due to the capacity constraint of the Tsing Ma Bridge which only allows one train to pass at all times.[2]

Stations

The following is a list of the stations on the Tung Chung line.

Livery and name District Connections Opening date
Tung Chung line
Hong Kong Central and Western      Airport Express
Central station for      Tsuen Wan line and      Island line		 22 June 1998
Kowloon Yau Tsim Mong      Airport Express
Olympic
Nam Cheong Sham Shui Po      West Rail line 20 December 2003
Lai King Kwai Tsing      Tsuen Wan line 10 May 1982 (Tsuen Wan line)
22 June 1998 (Tung Chung line)
Tsing Yi      Airport Express 22 June 1998
Sunny Bay Tsuen Wan      Disneyland Resort line 1 June 2005
Tung Chung Islands Ngong Ping Cable Car 22 June 1998

Design limitations

At the time when the then colonial administration announced its plans to build the airport rail link, the Chinese government voiced concerns of the project's significant capital outgoings. In 1994, a few years before the handover, both British and Chinese governments reached an agreement on the conditions of the following cost saving measures:[3]

  • The airport rail link was originally designed to accommodate four tracks, two each for the Airport Express and Tung Chung Line. It was later reduced to two tracks where both services share the same trackage. As a result, signal failures can affect both services.
  • Reduction on train traffic capacity on Tsing Ma Bridge, Ma Wan Viaduct, and Kap Shui Mun Bridge) means only one train can travel on either direction on any given time. The minimum headway between trains comes to 2 minutes 15 seconds, and forces some Tung Chung Line services from crossing the bridges into Lantau and terminate at Tsing Yi.
  • The signalling system is not capable of giving priority to the limited-stop Airport Express trains. Tung Chung Line trains would sometimes stop at Sunny Bay Station for an extended period of time to give way to the Airport Express trains.
  • The power supply system restricts the number of trains running between Kowloon and Lai King stations. The system can accommodate a maximum of one Airport Express train and two Tung Chung trains travelling on both directions at one time. The minimum headway on this section of the line is 3 minutes 30 seconds.

Future development

Island extension
Main article: North Island line

Once the North Island line is complete, trains will travel in a tunnel east of Hong Kong station along the shore of the island before merging into Tseung Kwan O line at North Point. Three new stations, Tamar, Exhibition Centre and Causeway Bay North, will form part of the extension.

Tung Chung Line Extension

Tung Chung East and Tung Chung West In April 2020, Carrie Lam and the Executive Council approved the detailed planning and design of the Tung Chung Line Extension project. It is scheduled to begin construction in three years, while the cost of the two new Stations, Tung Chung East and Tung Chung West, are expected to cost HK$18.7 billion. This extension is expected to be complete by 2029.

Track Extension near Hong Kong Station


Meanwhile, an underground tunnel, around 1/2 km long, will be built Eastwards of Hong Kong station to allow Tung Chung Line and Airport Express trains to turn around, allowing the trains to easily switch directions, thus enhancing the efficiency of operations.


The project is expected to extend the line an additional 1.5 kilometers. The contract for the extension was recently awarded to British engineering companies Arup and Atkins.


See also

References
  1. "Weekday patronage of MTR heavy rail network from September 1 to 27 and September 28 to October 25, 2014" (PDF). Legislative Council of Hong Kong. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  2. "Legislative Council Panel on Transport, Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways, Airport Railway Capacity" (PDF). Legislative Council of Hong Kong. 17 November 2009. Retrieved 21 July 2017. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. (in Chinese)MTR Service Update (26 November 2012). "為甚麼東涌綫總是班次疏落？". Retrieved 28 November 2012.
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