# Light Rail (MTR)

The Light Rail, also known as the Light Rail Transit (LRT), officially the North-West Railway, is a light rail system in Hong Kong, serving the northwestern New Territories, within Tuen Mun District and Yuen Long District. The system operates over 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge track, using 750 V DC overhead power supply. It was once one of four systems comprising the KCR network in Hong Kong, before the MTR–KCR merger in 2007. It has a daily ridership of about 483,000 people. The network is coloured goldenrod on the MTR map.

## History
### Planning and commencement

When Tuen Mun was developed in the 1970s, the Hong Kong government set aside space for the laying of rail tracks. There was uncertainty however as to which company would be chosen to build the railway. In 1982, Hong Kong Tramways showed interest in building the system and running double-decker trams on it, before abandoning the project after negotiations over land premiums for related property development failed. The government sought another builder. The Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) was "heavily indebted" at the time, and so Secretary for Transport Alan Scott invited the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) to consider the project instead. The KCRC announced they would build the system in 1984 to a budget of $1.5 billion, after investigating ways to improve commercial viability. After some research, construction commenced on 14 July 1985.
By that time, Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) had developed its own network in Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, and there were about 10 routes serving within the districts internally, most of them profitable. However, the government introduced the concept of the "Light Rail Service Area" in both districts, within which the LRT would monopolise all public transport services, forcing the KMB to withdraw all internal bus services in favour of the Light Rail. It also forced the KMB to impose boarding and alighting restrictions for external routes. It was decided that services between town centres and settlements would be provided solely by the Light Rail, while feeder buses operated by the KCRC would connect remote sites to the network, replacing KMB's equivalent services where applicable.
The system was completed and fully operational in September 1988. The first section was opened to the public on 14 September 1988, with free rides between Tuen Mun and Yuen Long; normal, all-day service began four days later, on 18 September. The system consisted of two large and three small loops serving most of the public housing estates in northern Tuen Mun. Three branches: one to On Ting Estate in the southeast, one to the Tuen Mun Ferry Pier in the southwest and another northern branch all the way into the town of Yuen Long along Castle Peak Road. It was then known as Light Rail Transit or LRT and is also called as the North-west Railway according to the Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation Ordinance and Mass Transit Railway (North-west Railway) Bylaw.
The transit system is the first and the only one in Hong Kong to adopt a zonal fare system. The feeder buses have fares independent of these zones, but provide discounts when passengers interchange between these buses and LRT. Seventy single-deck LRVs were manufactured in Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia by Comeng, to be shipped to Hong Kong for the seven LRT routes in the system. Three of the routes were to Yuen Long and the others were confined to Tuen Mun.

### Extensions

The system's first extension came for the southern and eastern parts of Tuen Mun. The eastern extension branches off the main line south of Siu Hong stop and crosses the river that runs through Tuen Mun immediately with a flyover. The line then runs along Castle Peak Road to a road north of the town centre, where it climbs to another flyover and rejoins the main route. The northern end of this extension is still the only non-triangular junction in the entire system.
The southern extension mainly consists of a route linking On Ting and Ferry Pier, on the newly reclaimed land near the river mouth of Tuen Mun River, known as "Mouse Island" by locals. A short spur was also built from the extension to another terminus at Sam Shing Estate, located near Castle Peak Bay. Three LRT routes were diverted (route 505 was extended to Sam Shing) and one feeder bus route (route 559) discontinued as a result of these changes.
Tin Shui Wai was originally an area with numerous fish ponds, but was developed as a residential new town in the early 1990s. With the increase of internal commuter traffic demand, an LRT spur was built north of Hung Shui Kiu stop that opened in 1993, with four stops serving the initial housing areas of the town. The area was further developed in the next few years and the line was extended by two stops: Chestwood and Tin Wing stop in 1995 (Tin Shui Wai Terminus was renamed Tin Wing after the opening of West Rail line). Two LRT routes were established, route 720 (now 751) to Yau Oi and route 721 Before Changed to (761) Then changed to (761P) to Yuen Long.

### West Rail

The system remained essentially unchanged until the completion of the West Rail (now Tuen Ma line) in December 2003. Many changes were made, mainly around the new railway stations. The KCRC designed most railway stations in the LRT area to interchange with the new West Rail line. The idea was to encourage passengers to use the West Rail line instead of the Light Rail for longer journeys, thereby freeing up LRT vehicles for passengers making shorter journeys. For this purpose, an interchange discount system was launched with the introduction of the West Rail line system, meaning that passengers would pay no more (and in some cases less) to travel on West Rail line instead of the LRT for the main part of their journey. Although this most recent extension is the largest ever, no new vehicles were purchased. And although rearrangements were made, some infrequent and unreliable services resulted, causing passengers to blame the lack of vehicles and poor arrangement of new services. The KCRC has since modified the inside of some vehicles to allow more standing room for passengers during peak hours. They also made several route alterations to arrange them better.
In addition to the reconfiguration of light rail tracks around the new West Rail stations, the system was extended to reach northern Tin Shui Wai to serve ongoing development there.

## Rolling stock

The system's vehicles consist of five different types of LRVs. All LRVs are uni-directional with driving cab on one side only, 20.2 metres (66 ft 3 in) long, and have 3 sliding doors fitted on the left side (when facing the running direction from inside). This means that island platforms (except the triangular platform at Siu Hong stop) cannot be used at all in the LRT system and the termini have to feature loops for LRVs to reverse in direction. Hong Kong and Kolkata are the only cities with unidirectional left-handed trams.
Phase I LRVs were built by Comeng and put in service in 1988. They are numbered 1001–1070 and accommodate 43 seated passengers and 161 standees. The driver's cab interior and exterior design was conceived for KCRC by Design Triangle in 1986. Phase II LRVs were built by Kawasaki and entered service in 1992. They are numbered 1071-1090/1201-1210 and accommodate 26 seated and 185 standees. Cars 1071–1090 are cab cars while 1201–1210 are cabless trailers. Phase III LRVs were built by A Goninan and entered service in 1997. They are numbered 1091–1110 and accommodate 26 seated and 212 standees. Phase IV LRVs were manufactured by United Group and CSR and entered service in December 2009. They are numbered 1111–1132 accommodate 37 seated and 248 standees. Phase I LRVs have two wheelchair positions while Phase II, III, IV and V LRVs have three positions. The newest Phase V LRVs were manufactured by CRRC Nanjing Puzhen and entered service on 17 November 2020. They are numbered 1133-1162/1211-1220; 1133-1162 are cab cars while 1211-1220 are cabless trailer. 30 of these are set to replace existing Phase II LRVs, while the other 10 are for expansion.
Traction systems for Phase I and II LRVs consist of GTO thyristor choppers and DC traction motors provided by AEG, while those for the Phase III, IV and V LRVs consist of 2-level IGBT–VVVF inverters and asynchronous 3-phase AC traction motors provided by Mitsubishi Electric. The maximum speed for all LRVs is 80 km/h (50 mph), although they rarely reach that speed because of the many grade crossings between stops and the close proximity between stops in Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai.
From the exterior it is difficult to differentiate between the first three types of LRVs. There are, however, distinct features that one can use to tell them apart; Phase III LRVs still retain their original green electronic displays while all other LRVs have new orange electronic displays. Phase I cars also have a wide window at the rear that can be opened in case of an emergency, while Phase II cars have a door at the back. The interior of the Phase III cars has a greenish look and the doors are also green. The Phase IV LRVs have a completely different appearance in contrast to the older phase. It has a white exterior livery with olive green and purple line on the side. The shape of the front of the LRV is more streamlined than the older phases. The door opening and closing mechanism was similar to the ones from the K-class cars used in the Tseung Kwan O line and Tung Chung line. The Phase IV has 3 surveillance cameras in each vehicle. Seat belts and wheelchair positions were also available in the Phase IV. On older-generation LRVs there is a perch seat but the Phase IVs do not maintain this feature. The refurbished Phase I LRVs have rounded rectangular windows while Phase IV LRVs have square ones.
The Phase II LRVs were not refurbished; upon the commissioning of 30 Phase V LRVs, this will see the Phase II LRVs phased out. Withdrawals began on 28 August 2022, with the first two Phase II LRVs (1079 and 1204) removed from Tuen Mun Depot and sent to the scrapyard. On 26 February 2023, the last of the Phase II LRVs were officially withdrawn from service following a retirement ceremony. One of the retired cars now survives at the Ying Wa College and Primary School, transformed into a classroom. Meanwhile, the Phase III LRVs are expected to be rebuilt and repainted with a scheme similar to the Phase IV LRVs.
In June 2024, the MTR received its first hydrogen-powered light rail.
* Comeng Phase I LRV car 1042
* Comeng Phase I LRV refurbished car 1016
* Kawasaki Phase II LRV cab car 1090 and trailer 1205
* A. Goninan Phase III LRV car 1102
* A. Goninan (UGL)/CSR Phase IV Light Rail vehicle 1111
* CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Phase V LRV cab car 1133 and trailer 1211
* Interior of an unrefurbished MTR Light Rail vehicle (presumably a Phase II)
* Interior of a refurbished MTR Light Rail vehicle

## Stops and routes
### Stops

| Fare zone | Name | Routes | District | Connections | Opened | Code |
| 1 | Lung Mun | 610, 615, 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route 506, K52A, K52S | 18 September 1988 | 030 |
| 1 | Light Rail Depot | 610, 615, 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route 506, K52A, K52S | 18 September 1988 | 020 |
| 1 | Butterfly | 610, 615, 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route 506, K52, K52A, K52S | 18 September 1988 | 015 |
| 1 | Melody Garden | 610, 615, 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route 506, K52, K52A, K52S | 18 September 1988 | 010 |
| 1 | Tuen Mun Ferry Pier | 507, 610, 614, 614P, 615, 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route 506, K52 | 18 September 1988 | 001 |
| 1 | Siu Hei | 507, 614, 614P | Tuen Mun | | 17 November 1991 | 240 |
| 1 | Tuen Mun Swimming Pool | 507, 614, 614P | Tuen Mun | | 17 November 1991 | 250 |
| 1 | Goodview Garden | 507, 614, 614P | Tuen Mun | | 17 November 1991 | 260 |
| 1 | Siu Lun | 505, 507, 614, 614P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route 506 | 17 November 1991 | 265 |
| 1 | Sam Shing | 505 | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route 506, K51, K51A, K52, K53, K58 | 2 February 1992 | 920 |
| 2 | Tsing Shan Tsuen | 610, 615, 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route 506, K52A, K52S | 18 September 1988 | 040 |
| 2 | Tsing Wun | 610, 615, 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route 506, K52A, K52S | 18 September 1988 | 050 |
| 2 | Ming Kum | 505 (to Sam Shing), 610, 615, 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route K58 | 18 September 1988 | 200 |
| 2 | Shek Pai | 505, 610, 615, 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route K58 | 18 September 1988 | 170 |
| 2 | Ngan Wai | 507, 610 | Tuen Mun | | 18 September 1988 | 230 |
| 2 | Tai Hing (South) | 507, 610 | Tuen Mun | | 18 September 1988 | 220 |
| 2 | Tai Hing (North) | 507, 610 | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route K58 | 18 September 1988 | 212 |
| 2 | Affluence | 610, 751 | Tuen Mun | | 18 September 1988 | 080 |
| 2 | Choy Yee Bridge | 507, 751 | Tuen Mun | | 18 September 1988 | 075 |
| 2 | Ho Tin | 507, 751 | Tuen Mun | Tuen Ma line Tuen Mun station | 18 September 1988 | 070 |
| 2 | Tuen Mun | 505, 507, 751 | Tuen Mun | Tuen Ma line Tuen Mun station, MTR Bus Route 506, K51, K51A, K52, 52A, K52S, K53, K58 | 23 September 1988 | 295 |
| 2 | Yau Oi | 751 | Tuen Mun | | 18 September 1988 | 275 |
| 2 | On Ting | 505, 507, 614, 614P, 751 (to Tin Yat) | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route 506 | 18 September 1988 | 270 |
| 2 | Town Centre | 505, 507, 614, 614P, 751 | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route 506, K51, K51A, K52, K53, K54, K58 | 18 September 1988 | 280 |
| 2 | Kin On | 505 | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route 506, K52A, K52S, K58 | 18 September 1988 | 060 |
| 2 | Shan King (South) | 505 (to Siu Hong) | Tuen Mun | | 24 September 1988 | 190 |
| 2 | Shan King (North) | 505 (to Siu Hong) | Tuen Mun | | 24 September 1988 | 180 |
| 2 | Pui To | 614, 614P | Tuen Mun | | 2 February 1992 | 300 |
| 2 | Hoh Fuk Tong | 614, 614P | Tuen Mun | | 2 February 1992 | 310 |
| 2 | San Hui | 614, 614P | Tuen Mun | | 2 February 1992 | 320 |
| 2 | Prime View | 614, 614P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route K51, K51A | 2 February 1992 | 330 |
| 3 | Kei Lun | 505 (to Siu Hong), 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route K58 | 18 September 1988 | 110 |
| 3 | Ching Chung | 505, 615, 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route K58 | 24 September 1988 | 120 |
| 3 | Kin Sang | 505, 615, 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route K58 | 24 September 1988 | 130 |
| 3 | Tin King | 505, 507, 615, 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route K58 | 24 September 1988 | 140 |
| 3 | Leung King | 505, 507, 615, 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route K58 | 24 September 1988 | 150 |
| 3 | San Wai | 505, 507, 615, 615P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route K58 | 24 September 1988 | 160 |
| 3 | Tuen Mun Hospital | 610, 751 | Tuen Mun | | 18 September 1988 | 090 |
| 3 | Fung Tei | 614, 614P | Tuen Mun | MTR Bus Route K51, K51A | 2 February 1992 | 340 |
| 3 | Siu Hong | 505, 610, 614, 614P, 615, 615P, 751 | Tuen Mun | Tuen Ma line Siu Hong station, MTR Bus Route K51, K51A, K54, K58 | 18 September 1988 | 100 |
| 3 | Lam Tei | 610, 614, 615, 751 | Tuen Mun | | 18 September 1988 | 350 |
| 3 | Nai Wai | 610, 614, 615, 751 | Tuen Mun | | 18 September 1988 | 360 |
| 3 | Chung Uk Tsuen | 610, 614, 615, 751 | Tuen Mun | | 18 September 1988 | 370 |
| 4 | Hung Shui Kiu | 610, 614, 615, 751 | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K75A, K75P | 18 September 1988 | 380 |
| 4 | Ping Shan | 610, 614, 615, 761P | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K65 | 18 September 1988 | 400 |
| 4 | Tong Fong Tsuen | 610, 614, 615, 761P | Yuen Long | | 18 September 1988 | 390 |
| 4 | Hang Mei Tsuen | 751, 761P | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K65, K65A | 10 January 1993 | 425 |
| 4 | Tin Yiu | 705, 706, 761P | Yuen Long | Tuen Ma line Tin Shui Wai station, MTR Bus Route K75A, K75P, K75S | 10 January 1993 | 445 |
| 4 | Locwood | 705, 706, 761P | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K75P | 10 January 1993 | 448 |
| 4 | Tin Shui | 705, 706, 761P | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K74, K75P | 10 January 1993 | 460 |
| 4 | Tin Shui Wai | 705, 706, 751, 751P | Yuen Long | Tuen Ma line Tin Shui Wai station, MTR Bus Route K65, K65A, K75A, K75S, K76, K76S | 7 December 2003 | 430 |
| 4 | Tin Wu | 705, 706, 751, 751P | Yuen Long | | 7 December 2003 | 450 |
| 4 | Tin Tsz | 705, 706, 751, 751P | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K73, K74 | 7 December 2003 | 435 |
| 4 | Ginza | 705, 706, 751, 751P | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K73 | 7 December 2003 | 455 |
| 4 | Tin Wing | 705, 706, 751, 751P | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K74 | 26 March 1995 | 500 |
| 4 | Chestwood | 751, 751P | Yuen Long | | 26 March 1995 | 490 |
| 5A | Chung Fu | 705, 706, 751, 751P, 761P | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K74, K76, K76S | 7 December 2003 | 468 |
| 5A | Tin Fu | 705, 706, 751, 751P, 761P | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K76, K76S | 7 December 2003 | 480 |
| 5A | Tin Yat | 705, 706, 751, 751P, 761P | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K73, K76, K76S | 7 December 2003 | 550 |
| 5A | Tin Heng | 705, 706 | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K73, K76, K76S | 7 December 2003 | 540 |
| 5A | Wetland Park | 705, 706 | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K76S | 7 December 2003 | 530 |
| 5A | Tin Sau | 705, 706 | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K73 | 7 December 2003 | 520 |
| 5A | Tin Yuet | 705, 706 | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K74 | 7 December 2003 | 510 |
| 5 | Shui Pin Wai | 610, 614, 615, 761P | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K65 | 18 September 1988 | 560 |
| 5 | Fung Nin Road | 610, 614, 615, 761P | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K65, K66, K66A, K68, K73, K74 | 18 September 1988 | 570 |
| 5 | Hong Lok Road | 610, 614, 615, 761P | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K65, K74 | 18 September 1988 | 580 |
| 5 | Tai Tong Road | 610, 614, 615, 761P | Yuen Long | MTR Bus Route K65, K66, K74 | 18 September 1988 | 590 |
| 5 | Yuen Long | 610, 614, 615, 761P | Yuen Long | Tuen Ma line Yuen Long station, MTR Bus Route K65, K74 | 18 September 1988 | 600 |
| | Hung Tin Road Emergency Platform | when service fails, a temporary terminal stop for 610, 614, 615, 751, 761P | Yuen Long | | 18 September 1988 | 385 |