Track gauge in Hong Kong

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Various track gauges are used in Hong Kong on different railways and railway lines.

Contents

Current use

Standard gauge

In Hong Kong, the ex-KCR East Rail line, the Tuen Ma line (combination of the 2 former ex-KCR West Rail and Ma On Shan lines), the ex-KCR Light Rail services, the West Island line, the Kwun Tong line extension and the South Island line [ citation needed ] use 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge .

Almost-standard gauge

The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) lines (apart from the West Island line, Kwun Tong line extension and South Island line) that were not part of the Kowloon–Canton Railway (KCR) use the track gauge of 1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in), 3 mm (1⁄8 in) narrower than the standard gauge. [1] [2] [3] This gauge is also used on the Bucharest Metro in Romania. [4]

Narrow gauge

Hong Kong Tramways, which has been operating tram service on northern Hong Kong Island since 1904, uses a narrow gauge of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in).

Rail gauge table

Rail gaugeRailLength (km)OperatorService period
610 mm (2 ft) Sha Tau Kok Railway 11.67 Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation 1912 – 1928
914 mm (3 ft) Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad 1.5 Hong Kong Disneyland 2005 – present
1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Hong Kong Tramways 30 Hong Kong Tramways, Limited 1904 – present
1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in) Kwun Tong line 18.4 MTR Corporation 1979 – present
1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in) Tsuen Wan line 16 MTR Corporation 1982 – present
1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in) Island line 16.3 MTR Corporation 1985 – present
1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in) Tung Chung line 31.1 MTR Corporation 1998 – present
1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in) Airport Express 35.3 MTR Corporation 1998 – present
1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in) Tseung Kwan O line 12.3 MTR Corporation 2002 – present
1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in) Disneyland Resort line 3.8 MTR Corporation 2005 – present
1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) East Rail line 41.5 MTR Corporation 1910 – present
1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Light Rail 36.2 MTR Corporation 1988 – present
1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Tuen Ma line 57 MTR Corporation 2003 – present
1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) South Island line 7.4 MTR Corporation 2016 – present
1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link Hong Kong section 26 MTR Corporation 2018 – present
1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) Peak Tram 1.365 The Peninsula Hotels 1888 – present

Former narrow gauge

Preserved Kowloon-Canton Railway locomotive KCR Sha Tau Kok Branch train 29-06-2020.jpg
Preserved Kowloon-Canton Railway locomotive

The Kowloon–Canton Railway (now East Rail) was originally partially laid to 2 ft (610 mm) and 3 ft (914 mm) gauge during its construction, and the latter was proposed to be its gauge since the tunnel could only accommodate 3 ft gauge if the line was to be double track throughout. However it was built to standard gauge and was single track, retaining space at places for later expansion. The now-defunct Sha Tau Kok Railway, built in 1911 and closed in 1928, constructed of the same materials used for constructing the main line, was 2 ft gauge. The famous Hong Kong Tramways are 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge. The MTR uses a gauge of 1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in), 3 mm narrower than the standard gauge. Originally it was to be standard gauge but when the link between the KCR and MTR at Kowloon Tong fell into disuse due to the difference in the choice of voltage for their respective electrification plans, the latter favoured a narrower gauge for technical reasons. This has proven to be an impediment of the proposed merger between the two systems. [5]

The haematite mine at Ma On Shan used an electric internal railway network of 2 ft 6 in (762 mm)

The Kowloon Godowns in Tsim Sha Tsui, before redevelopment in the 1970s, also had an extensive network of 2 ft (610 mm) gauge tracks using tiny hand-pushed 2-axle trucks. Similar systems existed elsewhere in Hong Kong. Railways believed to be metre gauge existed in Taikoo Dockyards and Whampoa Dockyards, though standard gauge is more probable for the latter, since it was connected to the main line network after 1937. A cement works in To Kwa Wan, north of the Whampoa dockyards, used a small internal narrow gauge system with jubilee track (prefabricated panels) and wagons, but apart from a few aerial photographs available at the Lands Department Mapping Office, there is little available information about this system. [5]

During the reclamation of Kowloon Bay for the construction of the Kai Tak estates, "jubilee" track and steam locomotives were used to convey spoil. This area became the Kai Tak Airport which has now been demolished. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Standard-gauge railway</span> Railway track gauge (1435 mm)

A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of 1,435 mm. The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge, international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the most widely used track gauge around the world, with about 55% of the lines in the world using it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTR</span> Rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong

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 service centred on a 10-line rapid transit network serving the urbanised areas of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. The system included 245.3 km (152.4 mi) of rail as of December 2022 with 179 stations, including 99 heavy rail stations, 68 light rail stops and 1 high-speed rail terminus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kowloon–Canton Railway</span> Railway network in Hong Kong

The Kowloon–Canton Railway was a railway network in Hong Kong. It was owned and operated by the Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) until 2007. Rapid transit services, a light rail system, feeder bus routes within Hong Kong, and intercity passenger and freight train services to China on the KCR network, have been operated by the MTR Corporation since 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsuen Wan line</span> Hong Kong MTR railway line

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwun Tong line</span> Hong Kong MTR railway line

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Rail line</span> Hong Kong MTR railway line

The East Rail line is one of the ten lines that form MTR, the mass transit system in Hong Kong. The railway line starts at Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau, both of which are boundary crossing points into Shenzhen and joins in the north at Sheung Shui and ends at Admiralty station on Hong Kong Island. At approximately 46 km (29 mi), the line is the second longest line within the network, behind the Tuen Ma line. The line's colour is light blue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kowloon Tong station</span> MTR interchange station in Kowloon, Hong Kong

Kowloon Tong is a station on MTR's Kwun Tong line and East Rail line in New Kowloon, Hong Kong. The station serves Kowloon Tong and its vicinity, including Yau Yat Tsuen, the Festival Walk shopping centre, City University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Baptist University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whampoa station</span> MTR station in Kowloon, Hong Kong

Whampoa is the western terminus of the Kwun Tong line of the MTR in Hong Kong. It is located in Hung Hom, Kowloon City District within the developed area of Whampoa Garden immediately adjacent to the stern of The Whampoa, a symbol of identity for the area and its history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ho Man Tin station</span> MTR station in Kowloon, Hong Kong

Ho Man Tin is an underground MTR rapid transit station on the Kwun Tong line and the Tuen Ma line, located beneath Valley Road in Lo Lung Hang, as part of the Sha Tin to Central Link project. The station's lower platforms opened on 23 October 2016 along with Whampoa station as part of the Kwun Tong line extension, while the upper platforms of the Tuen Ma line opened on 27 June 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mong Kok East station</span> MTR station in Kowloon, Hong Kong

Mong Kok East station – formerly Mong Kok railway station and Yaumati railway station – is a station on Hong Kong's East Rail line. Only out-of-system interchange is available with Kwun Tong line and Tsuen Wan line at Mong Kok station via a footbridge. The station is connected to Grand Century Place, a large shopping mall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Break of gauge</span> Meeting place of different width rail lines

With railways, a break of gauge occurs where a line of one track gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock generally cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, leading to passengers having to change trains and freight requiring transloading or transshipping; this can add delays, costs, and inconvenience to travel on such a route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disneyland Resort line</span> Hong Kong MTR railway line

The Disneyland Resort line is a commuter rail line connecting Sunny Bay to the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, coloured pink on the network diagram. It is the seventh line of the former MTR network before the merger of MTR and KCR, and the world's first metro line designed to service a Disney theme park. There are only two stations on this line, Sunny Bay and Disneyland Resort, and the line operates as a shuttle service between these two stations. Sunny Bay station is an interchange station with the Tung Chung line between Tsing Yi and Tung Chung stations. Administratively, the entire line is in Tsuen Wan District, despite being situated on Lantau Island, and is the only MTR line in Hong Kong to run within a single district.

East Kowloon line was one of the original five MTR lines proposed in the late 1970s in Hong Kong, which would have connected Sheung Wan with East Kowloon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sha Tin to Central Link</span> Heavy rail expansion project

The Sha Tin to Central Link was an expansion project of the MTR public transport network in Hong Kong. It was divided into two sections and expanded the network’s heavy rail lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beacon Hill Tunnel (Hong Kong)</span> Hong Kong railway tunnel

Beacon Hill Tunnel is a railway tunnel in Hong Kong on the original Kowloon–Canton Railway, linking Kowloon Tong to its immediate south and Sha Tin to its north. The nearest stations to the south and north of the tunnel are Kowloon Tong and Tai Wai respectively. Today, the tunnel carries the MTR East Rail line metro service and through trains to mainland China.

Kowloon is an urban area that is part of Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuen Ma line</span> Hong Kong MTR railway line

The Tuen Ma lineis a rapid transit line that forms part of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system in Hong Kong. Coloured brown on the map, the Tuen Ma line is 56.2 kilometres (34.9 mi) in length, making it the longest line of the MTR network. It has a total of 27 stations, more than any other in the MTR system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in Hong Kong</span> Trains in the Special Administrative Region

Hong Kong's rail network mainly comprises public transport trains operated by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRC). The MTRC operates the metro network of the territory, the commuter rail network connecting the northeastern, northwestern and southwestern New Territories to the urban areas, and a light rail network in northwestern New Territories. The operations of the territory's two leading railway companies, MTRC and the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC), were merged in 2007 on grounds of economies of scale and cost effectiveness. The Hong Kong Government has an explicit stated transport policy of using railways as its transport backbone.

Asia has many narrow-gauge railways. The railways of Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines are predominantly 1,067 mm narrow gauge. Those in mainland Southeast Asia, which includes Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia, are predominantly metre gauge. The proposed ASEAN Railway would be standard or dual gauge, using metre- and standard-gauge regional railway networks and linking Singapore through Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam to China's standard-gauge rail network. In Western Asia, Jordan uses 1,050 mm narrow gauge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwun Tong line extension</span>

The Kwun Tong line extension is an extension of the MTR rapid transit network in Hong Kong. It extends the existing train service of Kwun Tong line to Ho Man Tin station and Whampoa station. Construction started on 25 July 2011 and opened for service on 23 October 2016.

References

  1. ↑ "港鐵(MTR)". www.2427junction.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-07-30.
  2. ↑ "Hong Kong's MTR System". Archived from the original on 2013-06-09. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
  3. ↑ Allen, Geoffrey Freeman, Jane's World Railways, 1987–88, Jane's Information Group, 1987 ( ISBN   9780710608482)
  4. ↑ "Metrorex – Network features". Metrorex. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
  5. 1 2 3 A Picture Album of Steam Locomotives in China, 1876 - 2001. China Rail Publishing House. ISBN   7-113-04147-7.
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