North Island line

North Island line
北港島綫
North Island line; 北港島綫
Overview
Owner	MTR Corporation
Locale	Districts: Central and Western, Wan Chai, Eastern
Termini	North Point ; Hong Kong ;
Stations	4
Service
System	MTR
Operator(s)	MTR Corporation
History
Opened	2042
Technical
Track gauge	1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in)
Route map
Route map
	Legend
	;
	Island line
	to Kennedy Town
	Tung Chung line
	to Tung Chung
	Airport Express
	to AsiaWorld–Expo
	South Island line
	to South Horizons
	Tsuen Wan line
	to Tsuen Wan
	East Rail line
	to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau
	Tseung Kwan O line
	to Po Lam or LOHAS Park
	Island line
	to Chai Wan
	This diagram: view ; talk ; edit ;

Last updated December 13, 2024

The North Island line is a shelved proposal to provide rapid transit service for the area between the existing MTR Island line and the northern coast of Hong Kong Island in order to relieve the congested Island line.

Originally, according to the document "Rail Projects Under Planning 2000" released by the Highways Department,^[1] the current Tung Chung line would be extended from Hong Kong terminus eastward and two new stations, Tamar station and Exhibition Centre station are proposed on the extension. The new route would then connect and continue on the Island line from Fortress Hill station to Chai Wan terminus. The Tseung Kwan O line will have newly constructed tunnels connected from its North Point terminus to Fortress Hill station and continue on the remaining western half of the Island line.

In 2013, the Highways Department released a second option for the North Island line scheme, also known as the "interchange scheme" because it will only extend the Tung Chung line and the Tseung Kwan O line to meet at Tamar station where it will act as an interchange station for the two lines without dividing the Island line. The original scheme is known as the "swap scheme" for distinction.

2000 proposal

The extension of the Tung Chung line formed part of the third phase of land reclamation in Victoria Harbour on Hong Kong Island's northern coast. Due to environmental and utilization concerns, the MTR Corporation did not set a commencement date. The proposed Sha Tin to Central Link and the merger of MTRC and KCRC also was a consideration. For these reasons, in 2003 the Hong Kong Government postponed the project indefinitely.

However, the MTRC included the Sha Tin to Central Link and the North Island line details in the diagrams of the latest schemes of the West Island line and South Island line, released in 2008. Those diagrams have excluded the now cancelled Central South station and Racecourse Station in Happy Valley.^[2]

2013 proposal

On 21 February 2013, the Highways Department launched stage two of public consultation of Our Future Railway, and proposed two schemes for the North Island line.^[3] In addition to a "Swap" scheme which was similar to previous proposals, the consultation documents also included a second "Interchange" scheme.

"Swap" scheme

The existing Tung Chung line would be extended along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island, with Tamar , Exhibition Centre , Causeway Bay North and Fortress Hill stations along the route. The extension would then connect eastwards to the existing Island line at Fortress Hill station, and continue on the remaining Island line section to Chai Wan station.

Concurrently, the Tseung Kwan O line would extend from its current westbound terminus at North Point station to the existing Island line at Fortress Hill station, and continue on the remaining Island line to Kennedy Town station.

This scheme would greatly increase the number of stations reached directly by the Tung Chung line and the Tseung Kwan O line on Hong Kong Island, but east–west directional traffic along the existing Island line would be interrupted and require an interchange. In addition, the maximum train frequency between Fortress Hill and Chai Wan stations, which would be served by the Tung Chung line, would have to reduce by 8 trains per hour because the service frequency of the Tung Chung line is restricted by the capacity of the Tsing Ma Bridge. The signalling system and rolling stock used on both lines are also different, so the “swap” scheme was not considered in the plan.

"Interchange" scheme

Both the existing Tung Chung line and Tseung Kwan O line would be extended along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island. Three stations, namely Tamar, Exhibition Centre and Causeway Bay North, would be constructed along the extensions, and either Tamar or Causeway Bay North station would be chosen as an interchange between the two lines.

This scheme would preserve the existing Island line in its current form and would not change the current commuting pattern between the Central, Western and Eastern Districts. However, as the Tung Chung and Tseung Kwan O lines would not be run on the Island line, passengers would still need to interchange as they currently do. Also, this arrangement would be less effective than the "Swap" scheme in relieving congestion, since although the number of stations and the area served has increased, the link with the current Island line would still be the same, unlike the "Swap" scheme.

2014 plan

According to the "Railway Development Strategy 2014" document, the government opted for the interchange scheme because its construction cost and difficulties are lower and it does not interfere with the commuting patterns of current Island line users. The cost is estimated to be HK$20 billion in 2013 prices.^[4] Planning and construction for the North Island Line was later postponed to 2042 with the opening of East Rail Line to Admiralty; and there is enough capacity for Island Line.

Related Research Articles

Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. The island, known originally and on road signs simply as "Hong Kong", had a population of 1,289,500 and a population density of 16,390 per square kilometre (42,400/sq mi), as of 2023. It is the second largest island in Hong Kong, with the largest being Lantau Island. Hong Kong Island forms one of the three areas of Hong Kong, with the other two being Kowloon and the New Territories.

The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is a major public transport network serving Hong Kong. Operated by the MTR Corporation (MTRCL), it consists of heavy rail, light rail, and feeder bus services, centred around a 10-line rapid transit network, serving the urbanised areas of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. The system encompasses 245.3 km (152.4 mi) of railways, as of December 2022, with 179 stations—including 99 heavy rail stations, 68 light rail stops and 1 high-speed rail terminus.

The Island line is one of ten lines of the MTR, the mass transit system in Hong Kong. It runs from Kennedy Town in the Western district to Chai Wan in the Eastern District on Hong Kong Island, passing through the territory's major business districts of Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, and connecting them with built-up areas on the north shore of the island.

The Tsuen Wan line is one of the ten lines of the metro network in Hong Kong's MTR. It is indicated in red on the MTR map.

The Kwun Tong line is a rapid transit line of the MTR network in Hong Kong, coloured green on the MTR map. Starting at Whampoa in Hung Hom and ending at Tiu Keng Leng in Tseung Kwan O, Sai Kung, the route has 17 stations and takes 35 minutes to complete. The Kwun Tong line is one of the busiest railway lines on the network connecting the central and the eastern portions of Kowloon via Wong Tai Sin. The line is mostly underground, but includes a lengthy elevated section, and runs generally in an east-west direction. During the morning rush hour, the Kwun Tong line utilises 33 trains running at 29tph to achieve a route capacity of 85,000 pphpd.

The Tseung Kwan O line is one of the ten lines of the MTR system in Hong Kong, indicated by the colour purple. It is currently 12.3 kilometres (7.6 mi) long, taking 15 minutes to travel throughout the entire line.

The Tung Chung line is one of the ten lines of the MTR system in Hong Kong, linking the town of Tung Chung with central Hong Kong. It was built in the 1990s as part of the Airport Railway project, part of the construction of the new Chek Lap Kok Airport. The line currently travels through eight stations in 31 minutes along its route. The line is coloured orange on the MTR system map.

Tiu Keng Leng station is an MTR station located in Tiu Keng Leng. The station features cross-platform interchange between the Tseung Kwan O line and the Kwun Tong line, and serves as the eastern terminus of the Kwun Tong line and the western terminus of the Tseung Kwan O line for LOHAS Park shuttle. It is located between Tseung Kwan O and Yau Tong stations on the Tseung Kwan O line, and proceeds to Yau Tong station on the Kwun Tong line. It is the only station on the Kwun Tong line located in the New Territories. The livery of the station is yellow-green.

Central is an MTR station located in the Central area of Hong Kong Island. The station's livery is firebrick red but brown on the Tsuen Wan line platforms. The station is the southern terminus of the Tsuen Wan line, a stop on the Island line, and connects to Hong Kong station, which serves the Tung Chung line and the Airport Express.

North Point is a station on the Hong Kong MTR Island line and the western terminus of the Tseung Kwan O line, located in North Point on Hong Kong Island. The livery of the station is tomato orange. The interchange between the Island line and the Tseung Kwan O line is a cross-platform interchange. North Point is the northernmost station on the Island line.

Quarry Bay is a station on the Island line and Tseung Kwan O line of the MTR in Quarry Bay on Hong Kong Island. The station livery is teal green.

Heng Fa Chuen is a station on the Island line of the MTR in Hong Kong. The station is located in the heart of the Heng Fa Chuen housing development. The livery of the station is orange-red.

Po Lam is a neighbourhood in northern Tseung Kwan O, Kowloon. An MTR station with the same name, Tseung Kwan O Village, Yau Yue Wan Village, King Lam Estate, and Po Lam Estate are located there.

Tamar is a station on MTR's shelved North Island line (NIL) proposal on the north shore of Hong Kong Island. It will be located on the former site of HMS Tamar on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Tamar station will be the eastern terminus of the Tung Chung line and the western terminus of the Tseung Kwan O line. It will also act as a transfer station between the two lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Future projects of the MTR</span> Planned mass transit lines in Hong Kong

Several future projects on the MTR have been put forward by the MTR Corporation to the Hong Kong Government. Some of these are still in planning stage.

The Rotem EMU is an electric multiple unit that operates on the MTR rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. They were jointly built by a consortium consisting of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan and Hyundai Rotem of South Korea and come in two variants: TKE-C651 was delivered for the Tseung Kwan O line, and TKE-C6522-04E delivered in 2006 to 2007 for the Tung Chung line. In 2003 and 2004, the urban line trains ran on the Tsuen Wan line, Island line and Tseung Kwan O line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Causeway Bay North station</span> Proposed MTR station on Hong Kong Island

Causeway Bay North or Victoria Park is a proposed station of the MTR rapid transit network in Hong Kong, situated in the northern part of Causeway Bay to the northwest of Victoria Park on Hong Kong Island. The station is part of the North Island line (NIL) proposal, which includes the extension of the Tseung Kwan O line from its present North Point terminus to Tamar station in Central.

The history of the South Island line and West Island line encompasses a number of proposals which were made for extending the Hong Kong MTR metro system to the south and west of Hong Kong Island, which were not serviced by any rail transport before 2014. The West Island line opened as an extension of the Island line on 28 December 2014. The South Island line has completed construction and commenced service on 28 December 2016. The proposed South Island line (West) is still in the planning phase and is expected to begin in 2021.

References

↑ North Hong Kong Island Line - Hong Kong Highways Department, Hong Kong Government
↑ West Island Line & South Island Line (East) introduction - MTR Corporate Site
↑ Our Future Railway Archived 11 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
↑ "Railway Development Strategy 2014" (PDF). Transport and Housing Bureau. September 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.

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[1] North Hong Kong Island Line - Hong Kong Highways Department, Hong Kong Government

[2] West Island Line & South Island Line (East) introduction - MTR Corporate Site

[3] Our Future Railway Archived 11 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine

[rds2014-4] "Railway Development Strategy 2014" (PDF). Transport and Housing Bureau. September 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e North Island line
Future projects of the MTR
Tung Chung line extension	(← Tung Chung line) Hong Kong Tamar
Tseung Kwan O line extension	Tamar Exhibition Centre Causeway Bay North North Point (Tseung Kwan O line →)
Stations that are proposed, under planning or under construction are shown in italics.