East Rail Line

## **East Rail Line** **東鐵綫**

The **East Rail Line** (**東鐵綫**) is an urban line combining local and cross-boundary services between Admiralty and Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau. It is approximately 46 kilometres long and has 16 stations, of which four are interchange stations. The line starts from Admiralty Station on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, passes through the Exhibition Station in Wan Chai North, crosses the Cross-Harbour Tunnel under the Victoria Harbour to Hung Hom Station at the southern tip of the Kowloon Peninsula, and enters the in the middle of Kowloon to the New Territories. After leaving the tunnel, the line passes through the new towns of Sha Tin, Tai Po, Fanling and Sheung Shui, and splits into the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line to the Lok Ma Chau Station, and then the main line to the Lo Wu Station. The East Rail Line also has the Racecourse Spur Line between University and Sha Tin, which runs parallel to the main line and Fo Tan Station.

Currently, East Rail Line is the only MTR urban line providing First Class service and cross-boundary service. East Rail Line has light blue as its representing line colour, and it is even the only heavy rail line retaining the line names of the former KCR network.

The East Rail Line is equipped with signalling systems from Germany and the UK, which makes it the only line equipped with two signalling systems.

## Route Introduction

As the first heavy railway to open in Hong Kong, the **East Rail Line** was opened on 1 October 1910 as the Kowloon-Canton Railway (British Section), or KCR(BS) for short, a regional railway between Hong Kong and Guangdong Province. It runs from Kowloon Station to Lo Wu via the New Territories and connects to the Kowloon-Canton Railway (Chinese Section) in Mainland China. The Kowloon-Canton Railway Department (KCRD), then under the British Hong Kong Government, was responsible for managing the section within Hong Kong, and all staff were civil servants.

On 1 February 1983, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Department separated itself from the government structure and was restructured as Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation and continued its railway service between New Territories East and Kowloon. The railway was renamed  ****KCR East Rail**** (東鐵, East Rail/ER) in 1996.

On 2 December 2007, the running networks of KCR and MTR were merged into one, which marked the start of the MTR new era. The  ****KCR East Rail**** was renamed **East Rail Line**, but all related railway assets still belong to KCR.

**The Encyclopedia of Bus Transport in Hong Kong Wiki**：
MTR Feeder Bus

As of today, many people still call this line "**train**" or "**KCR**" (火車) whereas some older generations will call them as "**electrified trains**" (電氣化火車). even after its extension to Admiralty Station such a naming still existed, and that there were netizens called Admiralty Station as Admiralty KCR Station (金鐘火車站), which was widely disagreed by some netizens; some green minibus routes will mark these stations as 'KCR Stations' and Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) routes once used 'KCR Station' on their destination signs, for example 'Mong Kok KCR Station'.

## History

### Early Planning

The Kowloon-Canton Railway (British Section) started from and is a part of the original "Kowloon-Canton Railway" (known as "Guangzhou-Kowloon Railway" in China). As early as 1864, British railway engineer Macdonald Stephenson, who had played an important role in the early development of railways in India, first proposed the idea of building a railway linking Hong Kong and mainland China. Unfortunately, it was not supported by the Qing government in Beijing and major businesses in Hong Kong at that time, and therefore the proposal was shelved for a time. Until the 1890s, the trade and exchanges between Hong Kong and mainland China, especially Guangzhou, became more and more frequent, and the European powers expanded their influence in China, so this idea was reintroduced. In 1899, the Qing government and the British agreed to build the Kowloon-Canton Railway, which was later interrupted because the British were dealing with the Second Boer War. After the Legislative Council approved the construction of the Kowloon-Canton Railway in September 1905, the British resumed the construction plan of the Kowloon-Canton Railway in 1907.

In order to build this cross-border railway, the British Hong Kong government issued a rare bond, borrowing 1.5 million pounds in 1907, each 100 pounds. In July of the same year, the Hong Kong section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway was the first to start construction, while the Guangdong section started in 1909. By agreement between China and the United Kingdom, the second section of Lo Wu Bridge will be divided into Chinese and English sections. The section in Hong Kong (“Kowloon-Canton Railway (British Section)”) is constructed, managed and operated by the British side; while the section from Shenzhen to Guangzhou (the “Kowloon-Canton Railway (Chinese Section)”) is constructed, managed and operated by the Chinese side In 1949, the China section of the line was renamed the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Railway (or Guangshen Railway, Chinese: 廣深鐵路).

### Early days of commencement

The Kowloon-Canton Railway (British Section) was opened to traffic on 1 October 1910 and is managed by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Department. The initial stations include Kowloon Temporary Station, Hung Hom Temporary Station, Yaumati Station, Sha Tin Station, Tai Po Station, Tai Po Market Station, Fanling Station and Lo Wu Temporary Station. It was a single-track railway at that time, with the exception of the Kowloon Temporary Station, and all stations were built with two platforms. There are also five tunnels along the British section, which are located to the north of Yau Ma Tei Station (Tunnel 1), Beacon Hill (Tunnel 2), south of Ma Liu Shui (Tunnel 3), and north of Ma Liu Shui (Tunnel 4). and Tai Po Kau (Tunnel 5). On October 5, 1911, the China section of the railway was completed and opened to traffic, connecting the Chinese and British Sections and the entire Kowloon-Canton Railway was opened to traffic.

In the early days of the Kowloon-Canton Railway, there were only 13 trains coming and going every day, and the journey time from Kowloon to Guangzhou Express was 4 hours and 19 minutes.

On April 1, 1912, the Sha Tau Kok branch was completed and opened to traffic. The branch line runs on single railway track on the whole line, with a total length of 11.67 kilometers, with 5 stations, both passenger and freight. However, after the completion of the Sha Tau Kok Road, the number of passengers dropped sharply, and the branch line was finally stopped on April 1, 1928, 14 years later.

In 1913, Tai Po Market Station was changed to an official station, and Tai Po Market Station was fully opened. On March 1, 1914, the construction of Kowloon Station (Tsim Sha Tsui Railway Station) officially started, and the entire station was fully opened on March 28, 1916. On June 13, 1921, the Hung Hom Temporary Station was decommissioned and subsequently demolished. The original site was developed into a marshalling yard, a dispatching yard and a depot. On May 16, 1930, Sheung Shui Station was added to the Kowloon-Canton Railway (English section) to further attract tourists from Shek Wu Hui Market in Sheung Shui.

On December 8, 1941, the Japanese troops invaded Hong Kong. When the British withdrew from Hong Kong, they planted explosives under a train carrying explosives, which blew up most of the bridges, the Tai Po Tunnel and the Beacon Hill Tunnel. The Japanese side completed the repair of the entire Kowloon-Canton Railway on January 8, 1944, and the through train between Kowloon and Guangzhou was then resumed.

### Post-war development

After the war in 1945, Britain once again took control over Hong Kong. The Kowloon-Canton Railway was in a very dilapidated condition at that time, and the British Army initially took up the responsibility of repairing the railway and ordered 12 steam locomotives from the UK, which arrived in Hong Kong between 1946 and 1947.

On October 14, 1949, the through train between Kowloon and Guangzhou was suspended due to political factors due to the entry of the Chinese People's Liberation Army into Guangzhou. The Shenzhen Railway Station became the terminal station of the Chinese section and the related section became the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Railway, while Lo Wu Station became the terminal of the British Section, and Lo Wu Permanent Station was opened. On October 15 of the same year, the Wo Hop Shek branch line was opened, taking tomb-sweeping passengers to the Wo Hop Shek Cemetery on occasions of Ching Ming Festival and the Chung Yeung Festival every year.

In 1954, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Bureau decided to introduce diesel-powered locomotives. On September 2, 1955, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Authority invited the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Alexander Grantham and his wife, Ms. Mullin, to conduct the commissioning ceremony for the first two diesel locomotives at Tsim Sha Tsui Railway Station. On April 27, 1956, a military steam locomotive (No. 22) of the Kowloon-Canton Railway (English section) exploded at the Hung Hom Depot, resulting in the death of 6 maintenance workers and was seen as the fuse of the era towards the era of diesel locomotives in an all-round way. In fact, from the following year, only a small number of steam locomotives remained in service and provided logistical services. Until September 2, 1962, diesel locomotives completely replaced coal-fired steam locomotives, and the Kowloon-Canton Railway (English section) officially entered the era of diesel locomotives.

On September 24, 1956, Ma Liu Shui Station was opened, and on December 11, 1966, it was renamed University Station to coincide with the establishment of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in Ma Liushui. In the same year, Tai Po Station was also renamed as Tai Po Kau Station. On January 1, 1969, Yau Ma Tei Station was renamed Mong Kok Station.

In 1973, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Bureau spent HK$400 million to start the double-track project of the British section, and at the same time the Kowloon Terminus was relocated from the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront to Hung Hom. The new Kowloon Station (now Hung Hom Station) opened on November 30, 1975. As for the demolition of Tsim Sha Tsui Railway Station on June 7, 1978, only the clock tower remained.

During this period, the Kowloon-Canton Railway (English section) had four types of signs.

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Template:KCR British Section Route (1983)

### Electrification

In 1978, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Bureau spent HK$3.5 billion to modernize and electrify the entire British section in accordance with the highest standards of British National Railways. On October 7 of the same year, the Racecourse Station was opened to coincide with the opening of the Sha Tin Racecourse. The through train service between Kowloon and Guangzhou resumed on April 4, 1979 after being suspended for nearly 30 years.

New electrified trains arrived in Hong Kong between 1981 and 1982. Each train usually travels with 6 cars, and there are also 9 cars and 12 cars. In order to match the height of the doors of the new trains, the platforms of each station along the line need to be raised to 1.2 metres, and many stations have also undergone comprehensive reconstruction. On April 26, 1981, the new Beacon Hill Tunnel with double-track design was officially opened, and the Kowloon-Canton Railway (English section) between Kowloon (now Hung Hom) and Shatin also started double-track running on April 27. The rails of the old tunnel were removed and replaced with water supply pipe lines. On April 30, 1982, Shatin Station took the lead in completing the electrification project. On May 4 of the same year, Kowloon Tong Station and the reconstructed Mong Kok Station (now Mong Kok East Station) were opened.

The first phase of electrification was opened to traffic on 6 May 1982, between Kowloon Station (now Hung Hom Station) and Sha Tin Station, and railway services officially entered a new era. From then on, passengers cannot directly cross the tracks. On 7 April 1983, the new Tai Po Market Station, which meets the electrification specifications, was opened, and the University Station was refurbished on April 26. The second phase of electrification works between Shatin Station and Tai Po Market Station was completed on 26 April 1983, and Tai Po Kau Station was permanently closed on that day. The Wo Hop Shek branch was closed after the Ching Ming Festival that year, and the electrification of Fanling Station and Sheung Shui Station was completed on May 12 and June 1, respectively. As for the old Tai Po Market Station, it was converted into the Hong Kong Railway Museum on 20 December 1985.

The electrified railway between Tai Po Market Station and Lo Wu Station was opened on July 15, 1983, which also marked the official completion of the electrification project of the entire Kowloon-Canton Railway (British Section). A month later, the Kowloon-Canton Railway (British section) added a Tai Wai temporary Station (commonly known as "Wooden Station") to divert passengers from Sha Tin Station, and Fo Tan Station was opened on 15 February 1985.

The Racecourse Station was fully improved and opened on 1 October 1985, in time for the completion of the new public stand at the Shatin Racecourse. On April 23, 1986, the newly completed Tai Wai Station opened. On January 15 of the following year, the electrification of Lo Wu Station was also completed. On May 9, 1989, Tai Wo Station was added to the Kowloon-Canton Railway (British section). Since the original Pak Shek Kok section is prone to derailment incidents, the section was straightened and changed to be parallel to the Tolo Highway in 1995 to save travel time and reduce risk of accidents.

The daily ridership of the fully electrified Kowloon-Canton Railway increased from 313,000 in 1986 to 526,000 in 1992, an increase of 68%. On the other hand, from the early 1990s to the opening of Tai Lam Tunnel in May 1998, it was the period when the traffic jams on Tuen Mun Road were the worst. Unfortunately, most of them choose to take the KMB 276 series routes to Sheung Shui Station to transfer to this line out of the urban area, which makes the passenger volume continue to be high at this time. Due to the substantial increase in the number of passengers, KCRC purchased 96 new carriages and delivered them in 1991, using 12 cars on the whole line, increasing the passenger capacity by 38%, and the total number of train carriages became 351.

In 1996, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Company began to refurbish the original suburban electrified trains, increasing the passenger capacity of the old trains by 18%. In order to clearly distinguish the existing KCR and the future services of the Western Corridor, the KCRC renamed the "Kowloon-Canton Railway (British Section)" as " ****KCR East Rail****" in the same year, and Kowloon Station was also renamed as "Hung Hom Station". The electrified  ****KCR East Rail**** experienced 3 signs, which were also depicted with the appearance of the new train at that time. Although the "Yellow-head Train" has been refurbished in the middle of electrification, some stations still have the train logo. After KCRC introduced new East Rail trains in 2001, there are three more train logos at East Rail stations.

### Opening of Tsim Sha Tsui Branch Line, Ma On Shan Rail and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line

After the Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse was opened in August 1999, livestock trains no longer travelled along the East Rail Line to Ho Man Tin Slaughterhouse, but instead went straight to Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse via Lo Wu Station. The nuisance to passengers and residents along the line has since disappeared. .

Under the "Railway Development Strategy 2000", KCR has expanded several times since entering the millennium, and introduced SP1900 trains with 8 trains totalling 96 cars in 2001 to cope with the new passenger volume in the future. In order to relieve the congestion at KCR and the only interchange station of the MTR, Kowloon Tong Station, the KCRC built the Tsim Sha Tsui Branch Line and opened on October 24, 2004. After 29 years, the Kowloon Canton Railway Main Station was back in Tsim Sha Tsui again. The newly established East Tsim Sha Tsui Station has a pedestrian tunnel connected to the MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Station for interchange; Ma On Shan Rail was be opened on December 21 on the same year.

On August 15, 2007, the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line connecting Sheung Shui Station to Lok Ma Chau Station was opened to traffic, facilitating the use of the newly built Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point and Shenzhen Futian Port, while reducing the load on Lo Wu Station. The Lok Ma Chau Spur Line has reserved space for connecting to Kwu Tung Station of the **Northern Link** in the future.

### After the Rail Merger

The merger of the two railways, which has been discussed for many years, was officially implemented on December 2, 2007. The  ****KCR East Rail**** was renamed the **East Rail Line**, and Mong Kok Station was renamed Mong Kok East Station to avoid duplication with the former MTR Mong Kok Station. In the early stage of the merger, the MTR still used the SP1900 train logo, and only the KCRC logo was removed; and the colour of the route was changed from dark blue to light blue to avoid duplication with the former MTR Island Line.

The Kowloon Southern Link connecting the **East Rail Line** and West Rail Line was opened to traffic on 16 August 2009, allowing trains of the West Rail Line to go directly to Hung Hom Station via Austin Station and East Tsim Sha Tsui Station. On the other hand, East Rail Line Kowloon Terminus has returned to Hung Hom Station after five years of service. Passengers heading to Tsim Sha Tsui East Station must once again transfer to the West Rail Line at Hung Hom Station, which indirectly increases the flow of passenger at Kowloon Tong Station. The MTR has also adjusted its frequency during the morning rush hour, and also arranged for short-working trains to depart from Tai Po Market, Fo Tan and other stations to Hung Hom Station or Mong Kok East Station to pick up passengers at busier stations. Since then, during the morning rush hour on weekdays, the average train frequency of the busiest section (Fo Tan to Hung Hom Station) is about 2 minutes and 45 seconds. On the other hand, the development space for railway freight transport is limited. In order to make good use of resources, the MTR Corporation has suspended its freight business since June 16, 2010. Thus, passenger train services can be flexibly mobilized to benefit passengers. The freight terminal at Hung Hom, however, was demolished with the construction of the Tuen Ma Line.

In order to ensure passenger safety, improve the riding environment, and cope with changes in passenger volume, since 1 January 2009, MTR has unified the baggage regulations for all railway lines, and cancelled the baggage check-in service on the **East Rail Line** to free up space for more convenient transportation, providing safer, more comfortable and efficient train services for more passengers. In addition, in view of the heavy luggage carried by some East Rail Line passengers, which may pose a safety risk or inconvenience to other passengers, MTR implemented luggage weight restrictions on the East Rail Line in October 2012. Previously, the limit per passenger was 32 kg but this was reduced to 23 kg.

On the other hand, MTR has been continuously upgrading the **East Rail Line** railway system. Individual stations along the line have been rebuilt or relocated successively. The trains have also been refurbished from time to time. The infrastructure facilities, including signalling and track equipment, have also been updated from time to time to align with the railway modernization plan. For example, in 2013, the MTR Corporation integrated the Fo Tan Train Service Centre, which manages the train operations of the East Rail Line and Ma On Shan Line, into the Tsing Yi Control Centre for unified management to improve the efficiency of the entire railway network. Since 2014, the MTR Corporation has also carried out improvement works at different East Rail Line stations, including adding entrances and exits, merging station concourses, and introducing faster traction lifts, etc., to bring passengers a more convenient and comfortable riding environment.

Since the opening of the Guangdong-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (or XRL/High Speed Rail), the number of Intercity Through Trains has dropped. Starting from 10 July 2019, MTR discontinued 3 pairs of Intercity Through Trains between Hung Hom Station and Guangzhou East Station every day. An intercity through train from Hung Hom Station to Foshan Station will end at Guangzhou East Station instead. Since the East Rail Line and the intercity through train service share the same track, adjusting the frequency of the intercity through train service can make the East Rail Line train frequencies more even. Therefore, starting from July 10, an additional train will be available from Lo Wu to Hung Hom on weekdays from 8 to 9 am on weekdays. As well as two trains from Hung Hom to Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau respectively, it is expected that the average waiting time during the rush hour in the morning on weekdays can be shortened by 4% to 10%. East Rail Line trains had to give way to the locomotive-hauled through trains, which often required inconsistent frequencies when an overtaking move was scheduled.

### 100-year Railway Crosses Through the Victoria Harbour

#### Difficulties on Signalling System Change

The **East Rail Line**'s signalling system is extremely limited due to the need to accommodate Intercity Through Trains. The existing frequency is close to the upper limit of the signalling system. Even if new trains are purchased immediately, the frequency cannot be increased. In conjunction with the Sha Tin-Central Link project, the East Rail Line was undergoing signaling system replacement works, and the train frequency can be increased from the current average of about 3 minutes to about 2 minutes. When the Tuen Ma Line is opened to revenue service, it is estimated that about 23% (74,000 passengers per day) of the southbound New Territories passengers will be diverted to the urban area via the Tuen Ma Line.

In line with the project of the cross-harbour section of the SCL, the East Rail Line would need a new signal system and the trains also need to be replaced with new South Korean-made 9-car trains. However, due to the train collision accident on the Tsuen Wan Line in 2019, the progress of the testing of the new signalling system was hampered. Later, due to social movements and the COVID-19 pandemic, the replacement of the signalling system was delayed again and again. The Mixed Fleet Operations (MFO) of the 12-car train and the 9-car train has also postponed. Finally, the MTR announced in late August 2020 that the mixed running plan will be launched on September 12 along with the activation of the new signaling system[18]. All SP1900 trains will be transferred to the Tuen Ma Line, and will no longer travel on the East Rail Line.

However, the night before the new signalling system was put into service, MTR temporarily announced that the commencement of the new system would be delayed. As of February 1, 2021, MTR announced that the East Rail Line will start to use a new signalling system from February 6, 2021, and will carry out a MFO for 12-car trains and 9-car trains. The first 9-car train departed from Sha Tin Station to Hung Hom Station at about 5:40 in the morning. Some railway fans lined up early to ride the first R-train service.

In addition, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, through train services were suspended. Since these services are fully duplicated by high speed services on the Express Rail Link, they were discontinued when the border reopened, which allows even more flexibility for East Rail Line services and the implementation of the new CBTC system.

#### Preparation for the Commencement of Cross-Harbour Section

As the train replacement work was underway, the Cross-Harbour Section of the East Rail Line was officially handed over to the frontline operations department of the MTR Corporation (Hong Kong Transport Services) for management on 31 January 2022 and will enter the trial operation stage. The test run during the time period was also launched the next day, and it is expected to be officially opened for service between June and July.

In March 2022, MTR will be gradually upgrading the platform appearance and facilities of the 12 existing stations on the East Rail Line, beautifying the platform walls, and upgrading the lighting and ventilation systems, so that passengers can feel a better riding experience before the opening of the new section. The newly designed East Rail Line station platform wall pattern will incorporate more MTR styles, such as the classic mosaic papier-mâché elements, as well as the station name calligraphy written by retired MTR architect Mr. Au Kit-tong, will be more consistent with other MTR stations. The new platform wall design will also include images of landmarks near the relevant station and old photos of the station, which not only strengthens the connection between the station and the community, but also helps passengers to identify the station more easily. The pillars and pipes on the platform will also be painted with new paint, making the overall waiting environment more tidy and beautiful. In addition, the MTR will upgrade facilities at various platforms, including installing air-conditioning systems at appropriate locations, replacing and strengthening the cleaning of the existing fan covers, and strengthening the lighting at different locations on the platforms, in order to provide passengers with a clean, bright and comfortable riding environment.

After several delays in the opening date of the Cross-Harbour Section of the East Rail Line, the MTR Corporation announced on October 22, 2021 that the new section is expected to open for service from June to July 2022. The test run of the whole line also started on February 1. From that day, some trains will travel back and forth between Lok Ma Chau and Admiralty during non-peak hours. On May 3, 2022, the MTR Corporation announced that the Cross-Harbour Section will be opened to traffic on May 15, 2022, which is earlier than the expected opening date, officially opening a new chapter of the century-old railway. This came in conjunction with having all services on the line run with the Hyundai Rotem EMUs, with the final Metro Cammell EMU service on May 6, 2022, exactly 40 years after entering service (and the electrification of the East Rail Line). The latter sets were scrapped, save for the two cab cars from set E112/E71 that ran the final service, part of a cab car donated to a school and non-refurbished set E44. Parts from the retired Metro Cammell sets were repurposed into other devices for senior's homes or were donated to schools; some train seats were also reused as benches in parks. A section of a car was also given to a model railway shop.

In addition, in June 2023, platform screen gates appeared at Tai Po and Racecourse stations, being of a new design. PSDs were not possible until only one EMU model was being operated on the line due to differences in carriage lengths and door positions, let alone having to accommodate locomotive-hauled services in the past.

MTR has signed 3 major agreements with the HKSAR Government and the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation for the operation of the Cross-Harbour Section of the East Rail Line. MTR has been granted the right to operate East Rail Line services for a period of 10 years from May 15. Three major agreements were signed on that day, including the revised operating agreement and the supplementary operating agreement signed by the MTR Corporation and the Government, and the supplementary service operating rights agreement signed by the MTR Corporation and the KCRC.

## Trains

Currently a total of 37 9-car Hyundai Rotem EMU (R-Train) sets are used on the **East Rail Line**, with not exceeding 34 trains to be deployed during peak hours.

On 14 December 2012, the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) awarded a contract for the procurement of 37 new trains and signalling systems for the SCL. The new trains were designed, manufactured and tested by Hyundai Rotem Company in South Korea. Each train has 9-car compartments and is equipped with a number of enhancements over the old trains, including LED in-car lighting and dynamic route mapping system, and a 27-inch LCD Display for the Passenger Information Display System.

The first new train was delivered to Hong Kong for testing in the third quarter of 2015 and has fully replaced the 29 Mid-Life Refurbished (MLR) Trains and the eight IKK-Trains that have been redeployed to the Tuen Ma Line. In addition, the signalling system was replaced with German Siemens Trainguard MT CBTC (Contract No. 1152B), while platform reinforcement works will be carried out to facilitate the retrofitting of platform gates.

On 3 July 2015, the first IKK-Train (D201/D203) was redeployed to the West Rail Line to tie in with the SCL. The first Kinki Kawasaki train (D201/D203) was subsequently re-numbered as a 8-car train at Pat Heung Depot to increase the capacity of the West Rail Line and to avoid a reduction in the number of trains available on the West Rail Line due to the reformation works. The second train (D209/D211) was redeployed on 21 December of the same year, and the third IKK-Train (D221/D223) was redeployed to the **East Rail Line** on 1 May 2018 as well. The remaining five trains remained in service until 5 February 2021, with the last train (D225/D227) arriving at Sheung Shui Station at 11:59pm that night, before clearing passengers and returning to Ho Tung Lau Depot.

In late 2019, three MLR-Trains were suspended due to derailment (E81/E21) and serious damage (E82/E24, E92/E70) respectively, resulting in a reduction in the number of trains available and indirectly causing MTR to reduce the frequency of the **East Rail Line** during peak hours. Two trains were able to return to service after restructuring of the train cars, but one train had to be retired early and the train cars were transported away from Ho Tung Lau Depot from February 2020 onwards by trucks.

After repeated tests and further delays, the MTRCL announced on 1 February 2021 that the East Rail Line would be converted to the new signalling system on 6 February the same year, and the new trains would be put into service one by one. From that date, the remaining IKK-Trains were withdrawn from service and transferred to Pat Heung Depot for reformation works once the new signalling system and new trains are operating smoothly. The first R-Train (D013/D015) departed from Sha Tin Station to Hung Hom Station at 5:40 am on the same day. [36]

The 12-car MLR-Train fleets eventually ran until 6 May 2022, with new trains came into service one by one. The East Rail Line has been fully operational with the new 9-car trains since 7 May.

The MTR East Rail Line Hyundai Rotem EMU has replaced all other train models on the line as the main rolling stockThe MTR Mid-Life Refurbished Trains were once the main rolling stock for this line and is currently retiredThe MTR IKK-Trains once served on **East Rail Line**The "Fun Art" (Fun·紛藝術) Train of East Rail LineThe Standard Class Compartment of MTR East Rail Line Hyundai Rotem EMUThe Standard Class Compartment of retired MTR Mid-Life Refurbished TrainsThe Standard Class Compartment of MTR IKK-Trains once served on East Rail LineThe First Class Compartment of MTR East Rail Line Hyundai Rotem EMUThe First Class Compartment of retired MTR Mid-Life Refurbished TrainsThe First Class Compartment of MTR IKK-Trains once served on East Rail Line

**Gallery Page**：
East Rail Line

## Train Operations

The urban terminus of the **East Rail Line** is Admiralty, whereas the border terminus is Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau. The Racecourse Station is only open for race days at the Sha Tin Racecourse and double betting at the Happy Valley Racecourse.

If you want to check the train arrival time information at each station, you can check the real-time train service information through the MTR Mobile app.

### Normal Departures

Mondays to Fridays (mins)

 Sheung Shui to Lo Wu | 6-14
 Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau | 18-21

Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday Non-Racing Day Races (in minutes)

 Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau | 18-21 (05:28-07:00)15-18（07:00-08:00）12 (08:00-17:00)11-13 (17:00-20:00)8-12 (20:00-22:55)

Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday Daytime racings (in mins)

 Tai Po Market to Lo Wu | 6-14
 Tai Po Market to Lok Ma Chau | 18-21

Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday Evening Racings (in mins)

 Tai Po Market to Lo Wu | 6-14
 Tai Po Market to Lok Ma Chau | 18-21

### Racecourse Station Service Arrangements

On Wednesdays when Happy Valley Racecourse is open for double betting and Sha Tin Racecourse is open for double betting, most of the trains on the **East Rail Line** passing through the Racecourse will be travelling between Sheung Shui (southbound from Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau) and Admiralty. Trains will be arranged to depart from the Racecourse Station for Admiralty during the course of the race. For Wednesday's race at the Sha Tin Racecourse, most of the trains on the East Rail Line passing through the Racecourse are destined for Luohu/Lok Ma Chau (southbound from Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau) and Admiralty. Trains will be arranged to depart from the Racecourse Station for Admiralty during the course of the race. For weekend races at the Sha Tin Racecourse, a southbound train from Lo Wu will be arranged to pass through the Racecourse during the admission period, while a northbound train will depart from Admiralty and terminate at Sheung Shui. During the race, all trains via the racecourse will run between Sheung Shui and Admiralty. During the end of the race, the last northbound train will terminate at Sheung Shui and a southbound train will depart from Racecourse Station for Admiralty.

 During racing hours
 Dismissal hours

**Provide Real-time train service information on all lines.**

### Service Hours

#### First Train

At present, there are three first trips on the northbound **East Rail Line** (towards Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau) from Admiralty, Hung Hom, Sha Tin, and Admiralty, Hung Hom, Mong Kok East, and four first trips on the southbound Admiralty from Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau, Sheung Shui, Sha Tin, Sheung Shui and Sha Tin, and four first trips on soithbound (towards Admiralty) departing from Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau, Sheung Shui and Sha Tin respectively.

#### Last Train

Northern termini of **East Rail Line** is located within the Boundary Control Point, and northbound trains will use Sheung Shui as the terminal after the control point is closed.

At present, the last train of Tuen Ma Line to Tuen Mun will depart from Lo Wu at **23:42** (interchange at Hung Hom). The last train from Lo Wu to South Horizons will depart from Lo Wu at **00:00** (interchange at Admiralty).

### Train Classes

The **East Rail Line** is the only MTR line with First Class compartments.

Since the opening of the British section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR), train services have been divided into First, Second and Third Class. Subsequently, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) merged the second and third classes into the Ordinary Class, while the class of train compartments was retained after electrification, making it the only line in Hong Kong with First Class compartments.

At present, each **East Rail Line** train has one First Class compartment (Car 4 for Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau and Car 6 for Admiralty), which is equipped with soft seats with wider seat spacing and a more comfortable environment. Passengers who wish to travel First Class must purchase a First Class Single Journey Ticket before entering the train, select a First Class 2D code ticket via MTR Mobile or AlipayHK, or obtain First Class approval by tapping their Octopus cards at the First Class Approval Machines on platforms. First Class Fare is the Normal Class Fare plus a First Class Extra Fare, which is equal to the Adult Single Journey Fare for the journey.

Please note that passengers must obtain a First Class Approval (via the First Class Approval Machine), hold a First Class Single Journey Ticket or select a First Class 2D Ticket before travelling First Class, and there is no replacement service in the First Class compartment. A surcharge of HK$1000 will be charged if a passenger is found to be travelling without a First Class Single Journey Ticket or First Class Approval (same price regardless of age).

## Platform Safety Doors

From 1910 to May 2022, the East Rail Line did not have platform screen doors. PSDs only came into use when the extension to Admiralty was opened in May 2022, being located at the new Hung Hom platforms, Exhibition Centre and Admiralty. This was because of the various train types that passed through the line prior to 2020, such as through trains and freight trains, not counting the slight differences in door positions for the Metro Cammell EMU and the SP1900. In addition, during the transition from 12- to 9-car trains from 2021 to 2022, the differences in stopping positions (and door locations) on the Metro Cammell and Hyundai Rotem sets meant that platform safety doors were not an option. However, preparation for platform safety barriers at stations other than the old Hung Hom platforms occurred starting in 2016.

Platform safety barriers have been installed at Racecourse and Tai Po as of May 2023, with the other stations north of Hung Hom expected to get them in the future.

## Passenger Demand

Since the post-war period, the East Rail Line has been an important means of transport between urban Kowloon and the Northeast New Territories as well as to and from Mainland China, and is therefore in great demand. With the development of new towns in Sha Tin, Tai Po and North District, the Line has become an important means of transport for the residents of those districts, and coupled with the increasing number of cross-boundary travellers, the train full phenomenon is not uncommon in the Line, and short-distance journeys are required to be operated from the intermediate stations shortly after the full-scale electrification and even to this day, to ease the flow of passengers; the high patronage has led the KCRC to upgrade its trains to 12-car trains in the 1990s to cope with the increasing capacity, but despite this, the supply of the relevant railway services still falls short of demand, with many passengers having to wait for at least two trains during peak hours before they can board a train. With the opening of the cross-harbour section, it further attracted passengers from the Northeast New Territories and Central Kowloon to Hong Kong Island.

Since 6 February 2021, the line has been criticised for gradually switching to new 9-car trains due to the constraints of the Sha Tin to Central Link Hong Kong Island project, which reduces the capacity by one-quarter compared with that of the original 12-car trains and worsens the crowdedness of train compartments; some railway fans have suggested that the stations of the new section (the new Hung Hom, Exhibition Centre and Admiralty Stations) can be designed to accommodate 10-car trains and that the relevant locations have already been reserved for such purpose, and have suggested that the MTRCL will re-expand the East Rail Line to operate 10-car trains in the future, but MTR denied that 10-car trains can be accommodated at present. After the commissioning of the cross-harbour section of the East Rail Line, there were media reports about the deterioration of passenger waiting time and overcrowding in the train compartments, and there were even cases of First Class compartments fully loaded due to the fact that a number of passengers preferred to pay more to travel on First Class.

## References

1. ↑ West Rail Line and Ma On Shan Line which belonged to KCR network had been merged on 27 June 2021 and changed to use the new name Tuen Ma Line instead.
2. ↑ present-day Shenzhen
3. ↑ Now called **Chashan**
4. ↑ Now called **Jishan**
5. ↑ Now called **Guangzhou**
6. ↑ Mak Sau-ha、Mok Bing-tsz, A Guide to the New Territories（Second part）. KCR British Section Timetable (Upward) (1951). Hong Kong: Times Publishing. 1951: 132.
7. ↑ Mok Bing-tsz, A Guide to the New Territories（Second part）. KCR British Section Timetable (Downward) (1951). Hong Kong: Times Publishing. 1951: 133.
8. ↑ Riders, 10-car trains are a must for East Rail Line, Reserved Area at New Stations indeed feasible for enhancing passenger experience, Facebook.
9. ↑ MTR Corporation Limited, *有關東鐵綫車卡數目提案的回應* (*Response to the proposal on the number of train cars on the East Rail Line*), Response to Paper No. 52/2021 from the Traffic and Transport Committee of the North District Council.
10. ↑ HK01, 東鐵過海｜直擊通車後首個上班日人逼人　 頭等車廂粉嶺站無位坐 (East Rail Line Crosses the Harbour | 1st working day following the commencement - no seats left at Fanling Station for First Class), 16 May 2022.