Kwun Tong Line

## **Kwun Tong Line** **觀塘綫**

the Kwun Tong Line Topographical Route Map

the **Kwun Tong Line** (**觀塘綫**) is MTR a Heavy Rail Urban Line, between Tiu Keng Ling Station and Whampoa Station, opened in October 1st 1979, the total length is 17.3 km, and there are 17 stations along the way.

MTR opened on October 1, 1979, there was only a section from Shek Kip Mei to Kwun Tong, which was called "**Modified Initial System**" (**修正早期系統**). This section is currently the **Kwun Tong Line**, so it is generally regarded as the first MTR line in Hong Kong. As for the name "the **Kwun Tong Line**", when the May 10th 1982, the Tsuen Wan Line was opened, and the original Modified Initial System (Central to Kwun Tong) was renamed when the section between Yau Ma Tei and Central was assigned to the Tsuen Wan Line.

The Kwun Tong Line Extension was opened on October 23rd, 2016, enabling the **Kwun Tong Line** to further serve the residents in Ho Man Tin and Whampoa.

## Introduction

There are 17 stations on the Kwun Tong Line, of which 7 are interchange stations. Most of the stations along the line are underground, only three stations Kowloon Bay Station, Ngau Tau Kok Station and Kwun Tong Station are overhead stations, Lam Tin Station are overhead, ground and Underground mixed type station, Yu Tong Station is a mixed type station of overhead and ground. On MTRRoute Map, the **Kwun Tong Line** uses green as the representative color.

In terms of Signal System, the entire Kwun Tong Line adopts Automatic Train Operation (ATO), and the section from Yu Ma Tei Station to Lam Tin Station adopts Alstom’s version 1 SACEM, the section from Lam Tin Station to Tiu Keng Ling Station, which was added in the millennium due to the construction of Tseung Kwan O Line, adopts Siemens version 1.5 SACEM (this The version is backward compatible with the first version) . In addition, the east of Tiu Keng Leng Station and the east of Kwun Tong Station are equipped with an unmanned automatic about-turn system (Tiu Keng Leng Station only use in peak hour, Kwun Tong Station is not used except for emergencies). Also, There has Automatic Train Protection (ATP).

## History

### Modified Initial System

* 1979 October 1st: Modified Initial System opened, at that time between Kwun Tong and Shek Kip Mei.
* 1979 December 16th: Extend from Shek Kip Mei to Tsim Sha Tsui, adding Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui two stations.
* 1979 December 22th: Add Yu Ma Tei station.
* 1979 December 31st: Add Mong Kok station.
* 1980 Febuary 12th: Extend from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central, adding Admiralty and Chater station.

### Cutting service of across the Victoria Harbour for the 1st time

* 1982 April 26th: [Modified Initial System]]'s southern terminal was shortened to Yau Ma Tei station and renamed the **Kwun Tong Line** to match Tsuen Wan Line opened. The service from the original Yau Ma Tei to Central Station changed to Tsuen Wan Line.

### Tsuen Wan Line Opened

* 1982 May 10th: In conjunction with the opening of the Tsuen Wan Line's section from Tsuen Wan to Lai King, the **Kwun Tong Line** add Prince Station.

### Eastern Harbour Tunnel

* 1984, the Hong Kong government decided to build the second cross-harbour tunnel - Eastern Harbour Tunnel, and it was completed and opened in 1989, the railway part of which was served by the **Kwun Tong Line**.
* August 6th, 1989: Extended from Kwun Tong to Quarry Bay.
* August 9th, 1989: Add Lantian station.
* September 27th, 2001 : Completion of Quarry Bay Relief Works, extending the line from Quarry Bay to North Point.

### Cutting service of across the Victoria Harbour for the 2nd time

Due to the limited expansion space and technology of Lam Tin Station, after the opening of Tseung Kwan O Branch Line, the end point of the **Kwun Tong Line** will be changed to Yau Tong Station.

Passengers from the **Kwun Tong Line** bound for Hong Kong Island must first interchange to Tseung Kwan O Line at Yau Tong Station, and then interchange to Island Line at Quarry Bay Station or North Point Station, and vice versa, passengers need to interchange twice, and the journey is extended by four minutes because of one extra station.

* August 4th, 2002: The line is shortened from North Point to Yau Tong, to encourage passengers to interchange at Yau Tong Station, from that day to August 31, if passengers use Octopus Card from Shek Kip Mei Station to Lam Tin Station and passengers on the Island Line going via the Eastern Harbour Crossing go to Yau Tong to interchange, they can enjoy $2 discount.
* August 18th, 2002: Extensionn from Yau Tong to Tiu Keng Ling, extending the service area to New Territories East.

### Kwun Tong Line Extension Opening

* October 23rd, 2016: the line is extended from Yau Ma Tei to Whampoa.

## Fare

This route belongs to Urban Line, and it is in the same gate area as each Urban Line and adopts a comprehensive toll collection system.

* Children under the age of 12, seniors aged 65 or above, and passengers using personal Octopus cards with "Student Status", "Persons with Disabilities Status" or JoyYou Cards for seniors aged 60 to 64 can enjoy discounted fares.

Passengers can transfer between urban lines without going through a gate, except for transfers between Tsim Sha Tsui and East Tsim Sha Tsui stations.
Passengers who use the same Octopus to transfer via Tsim Sha Tsui Station within 30 minutes will receive a transfer discount. The total Octopus fare is equivalent to the fare from the starting station to the final station.
If passengers use the same MTR City Saver to transfer via Tsim Sha Tsui Station within 30 minutes, only one journey will be deducted in total.
Passengers using one-way tickets who need to transfer at Tsim Sha Tsui Station must purchase a ticket to Tsim Sha Tsui Station first, and then buy another one-way ticket to continue the journey after exiting the gate.
Interchange at Tsim Sha Tsui Station with the QR code of the ticket is also counted as two journeys.
Senior citizens aged 65 or above using Senior Citizen Octopus Cards, JoyYou Card or Personalised Octopus Card, seniors aged 60 to 64 using JoyYou Card, and eligible persons with disabilities using Personalised Octopus Card with "Person with Disability Status" can enjoy each journey Flat rate discount of $2.0, except that the discount is not applicable to the East Rail Line first-class surcharge. If the original discounted fare is less than $2.0, the beneficiary only needs to pay the original discounted fare; and the original full-fare ticket for the elderly aged 60 to 64 using the JoyYou Card is less than $2.0, the beneficiary only needs to pay the original full-fare.
* Passengers can use MTR City Saver to take this route.

## Station

the Template:Kwun Tong Line Stations
the Template:Kwun Tong Line Station List

## Mass Transit Railway Early Planning

### 1967 Planning

the Template:Kwun Tong Line Stations (1967)

### 1970 Planning

Template:Hong Kong-Kowloon Line stations
the Template:Kwun Tong Spur Line Stations

### Platform Safety Doors

Currently, platform safe door have been installed on all platforms of the **Kwun Tong Line** stations. Except for Kowloon Bay Station, Ngau Tau Kok Station and Kwun Tong Station which have been installed with Platform Gates, the other stations have installed Platform Screen Door.

## Service Hours and Service Times

### Special Departures

 06:00、06:05

 05:57、06:03

 17:50

 09:00-20:40 | 5

 06:15、06:22

 08:42、08:50、08:57、09:05、09:12、09:22、09:30、09:40

## Train Service

Currently, **Kwun Tong Line** trains run between Tiu Keng Leng to Whampoa, and Tiu Keng Leng to Ho Man Tin during peak hours, the two take turns 1:1. In order to meet the needs of passengers during the early Morning Rush Hours, individual **Kwun Tong Line** trains bound for Whampoa or Ho Man Tin will run empty from Tiu Keng Leng Station to pick up passengers at Diamond Hill Station (Wong Tai Sin Station before the Tuen Ma Line Phase 1 opened to traffic) and then pick up passengers.

At the same time, the MTR Corporation tries to add short-distance service times to the busy train stations during peak hours. For example, during morning rush hours, individual Kwun Tong Line trains will not carry passengers after dropping off passengers at the terminus, but instead go to Kowloon Tong Station, Diamond Hill Station, Prince Edward Station or Ngau Tau Kok Station to pick up passengers again, and relevant arrangements have been included in the daily train schedule.

As for non-peak hours (except late night hours), all trains run back and forth from Tiu Keng Leng to Whampoa, and there will be trains after the last train at night with Choi Hung or Kwun Tong as the terminus.

If a **Kwun Tong Line** train Yau Ma Tei Station breaks down, **Kwun Tong Line** trains can go to Central via the Tsuen Wan Line if necessary. When there is such an arrangement, there will be an announcement in the compartment of the train to remind passengers in the direction of Central not to get off the train, and the train will change to Tsuen Wan Line when it arrives at Yau Ma Tei Station.

## References

1. ↑ MTR Line 4 Accident Reveals Inconsistency Between Two Signal Systems, Oriental Daily, 2018 October 27th. (Chinese version only)
2. ↑ Affecting 300,000 people crossing the sea and spending four more minutes on the subway, forcing Yau Tong to change trains, angering Kwun Tong tourists, The Sun, 2002 July 29th. (Chinese version only)
3. ↑ hk/gia/general/201711/29/P2017112800947.htm Legislative Council Question 8: East Kowloon Traffic Situation, November 29, 2017
4. ↑ LCQ13: Shatin to Central Link and Kwun Tong Line, 15 June 2019
5. ↑ [1]

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