Lo Wu is the northern
terminus
Terminus may refer to:
* Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end destination
* Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination
Geography
*Terminus, the unofficial original name of Atlanta, Georgia, United ...
of the (Kowloon-Canton Railway) of Hong Kong, located in
Lo Wu
Lo Wu or Lowu is an area in North District, New Territories, Hong Kong. It lies on the border between Hong Kong and mainland China, specifically the Luohu District of Shenzhen in mainland China. The area is most notable as the location of th ...
within the
Closed Area
The Frontier Closed Area (), established by the Frontier Closed Area Order, 1951, and 1984 is a regulated border zone in Hong Kong that extended inwards from the border with Mainland China.
Established to prevent illegal migrants and other i ...
on Hong Kong's northern frontier. The station serves as a primary
checkpoint for rail passengers between Hong Kong and
mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
and vice versa, rather than serving a specific area. It is also the northernmost railway station in Hong Kong.
History
Initial opening
When the
Kowloon–Canton Railway
The Kowloon–Canton Railway (KCR; ) was a railway network in Hong Kong.Legislative Council information paper CB(1)357/07-08(0 THB(T) CR 8/986/00, CB(1)1749/07-08(0/ref> It was owned and operated by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC ...
(KCR) first went into service, trains did not stop at Lo Wu, as there was no border patrol at the time. However, shortly after the People's Republic of China was created in October 1949, the KCR announced that trains would terminate at Lo Wu, and that passengers would be able to cross the border on foot.
After the economic reformation of China, through trains re-commenced running in 1979, and cross-border traffic increased substantially. During the 1980s, Lo Wu station was completely redeveloped. On 15 January 1987, the new Lo Wu station was formally opened.
Lo Wu Station Concourse 1997.jpg, Station concourse in 1997.
Refurbishment work
Refurbishment work of the station started in 2002, and new facilities such as a group waiting area and new ticket gates were introduced. Since 28 December 2004, this station also serves as the interchange station for the
Shenzhen Metro
The Shenzhen Metro () is the rapid transit system for the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province, China. Extensions opened on 28 November 2022 put the network at of trackage, operating on 15 lines with 345 stations.
Shenzhen Metro is the 6th ...
Luohu station
Luohu station (; Cantonese Jyutping: Lo4 Wu4 Zaam6) is an underground terminus of Line 1 of the Shenzhen Metro in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. It is located beneath the East Plaza of Shenzhen railway station in Shenzhen's Luohu Distri ...
, which shares the same Chinese name.
In 2009,
platform gap fillers were trialled on platforms.
Closure during COVID-19
Following the Government's measures to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, this station has been closed since 4 February 2020. This station now provides 30-minute-interval train services between Lo Wu and Sheung Shui stations for Lo Wu residents only.
Opening during Ching Ming and Chung Yeung Festivals
To make it easier to go to
Sandy Ridge for grave sweeping, for a month around
Ching Ming Festival and
Chung Yeung Festival
The Double Ninth Festival (''Chong Yang Festival'' or ''Chung Yeung Festival'' in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan; ; ''Jungyangjeol'' (Hangul: , Hanja: ), observed on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese calendar, is a ...
, some East Rail line trains operate to/from this station from the start of service until 7 pm every day.
Station layout
The station has three tracks. Two tracks serve the as its terminus. The other track serves intercity through train services which do not stop at this station and continues northward across the border into
mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
. The through trains do not have platforms on this station.
Platforms
The East Rail station features two tracks with two
side platforms
A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms ...
and an
island platform
An island platform (also center platform, centre platform) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange. Island platforms are popular on ...
arranged in a
Spanish solution
In railway and rapid transit parlance, the Spanish solution is a station layout with two railway platforms, one on each side of the track, which allows for separate platforms for boarding and alighting.
Description
This platform arrangement allo ...
. The island platforms (2 and 3) serve alighting passengers, while the side platforms (1 and 4) serve boarding passengers. The island platform connects to the arrivals concourse at L1, and the side platforms are connected to the departures concourse at L2. Both concourses are connected to the
Lo Wu Control Point
Lo Wu Control Point () is a Hong Kong immigration control point in Lo Wu, New Territories. It sits within the Frontier Closed Area that runs along the border with mainland China. Its counterpart across the border is the Luohu Port in Shenzhen, ...
, through the
Lo Wu Bridge
The Lo Wu Bridge () is a footbridge and steel railway truss bridge across Sham Chun River linking Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
Due to the course of widening the river section at Lo Wu, it is necessary to reconstruct the Lo Wu railway bridge as its s ...
which has
moving walkways.
Trains entering the station will first open doors facing the island platform to allow passengers to alight. After station staff has confirmed that all passengers have alighted, the doors will close and doors facing the side platforms (1 and 4) will be opened for boarding passengers.
Prior to the implementation of the Spanish solution, passengers on both tracks would use the island platforms for both boarding and alighting, resulting in the platform overcrowding. In 2004, platform 1 (which had previously been rarely used) was rebuilt and platform 4 was constructed to improve the passenger flow for boarding passengers.
Located inside the
paid area
In rail transport, the paid area is a dedicated "inner" zone in a railway station or metro station, accessible via turnstiles or other barriers, to get into which, visitors or passengers require a valid ticket, checked smartcard or a pass. A sys ...
of the arrivals concourse (L2) are two separate passageways providing access to
escalators
An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horizo ...
,
lifts, and stairs to one of the two side platforms (1 and 4). Large glass
sliding doors
A sliding door is a type of door which opens horizontally by sliding, usually horizontal to a wall. Sliding doors can be mounted either on top of a track below or be suspended from a track above. Some types slide into a space in the parallel ...
ahead of each passageway begin automatically closing around 5 minutes before the train is set to depart the station. This is done to control the number of boarding passengers allowed on each narrow side platform to prevent
overcrowding
Overcrowding or crowding is the condition where more people are located within a given space than is considered tolerable from a safety and health perspective. Safety and health perspectives depend on current environments and on local cultural n ...
and reduces the chance of passengers falling onto the tracks. Once a set of automatic doors are shut, the other set will open, allowing access to the other side platform.
Lo Wu Station 2019 04 part1.jpg, Platform 1 (left) and 2 (right) (April 2019)
Lo Wu Station 2019 04 part3.jpg, Platform 3 (left) and 4 (right) (April 2019)
Tracks north of Luohu Bridge (20190116162821).jpg, A locomotive heading towards a reversing siding
Reverse or reversing may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Reverse'' (Eldritch album), 2001
* ''Reverse'' (2009 film), a Polish comedy-drama film
* ''Reverse'' (2019 film), an Iranian crime-drama film
* ''Reverse'' (Morandi album), 2005
* ''Reverse'' ...
. Lo Wu station in the background (January 2019)
Exits
The station has three exits:
* The
Lo Wu Immigration Control Point, where passengers must go through the border checkpoint in order to enter
mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
. Passengers must have valid travel documents to use this exit.
* Two exits out to the
Lo Wu
Lo Wu or Lowu is an area in North District, New Territories, Hong Kong. It lies on the border between Hong Kong and mainland China, specifically the Luohu District of Shenzhen in mainland China. The area is most notable as the location of th ...
area. These two exits are guarded by
Hong Kong police officers. To use this exit, one must possess a Lo Wu Resident Card or a
Closed Area Permit, which can be obtained at the
Sheung Shui
Sheung Shui (, literally "Above-water") is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Sheung Shui Town, a part of this area, is part of the Fanling–Sheung Shui New Town in the North District of Hong Kong. Fanling Town is to its southea ...
Police Station in
Fanling.
[
** A1: Tak Yuet Lau, Liu Pok Village
** A2: Lo Wu Village, ]Sandy Ridge Cemetery
Sandy Ridge Cemetery () is a cemetery in Sandy Ridge, Hong Kong near Man Kam To and next to Lo Wu Control Point. It is managed by Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. It lies on the slopes between Sandy Ridge and Lo Wu Station Road.
Hist ...
Lo Wu Station Restricted Passage.JPG, Passage restricted only to Lo Wu residents, featuring an itnercity througuh train in the background. (2013)
Exit faregates of Lo Wu Station (20190116145321).jpg, Exit fare gates for leaving Lo Wu station and towards the Luohu Port border checkpoint. On the left is Exit A, available only to permit holders of Lo Wu residents. (January 2019)
Incidents
On 2 February 2020, 2 explosive devices were found at Lo Wu station.
See also
* Lo Wu
Lo Wu or Lowu is an area in North District, New Territories, Hong Kong. It lies on the border between Hong Kong and mainland China, specifically the Luohu District of Shenzhen in mainland China. The area is most notable as the location of th ...
* Lo Wu Bridge
The Lo Wu Bridge () is a footbridge and steel railway truss bridge across Sham Chun River linking Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
Due to the course of widening the river section at Lo Wu, it is necessary to reconstruct the Lo Wu railway bridge as its s ...
* Lo Wu Control Point
Lo Wu Control Point () is a Hong Kong immigration control point in Lo Wu, New Territories. It sits within the Frontier Closed Area that runs along the border with mainland China. Its counterpart across the border is the Luohu Port in Shenzhen, ...
* Luohu
Luohu District is a district of Shenzhen, China, located north of the New Territories of Hong Kong, east of Futian District, southeast of Longgang District, southwest of Pingshan District, and west of Yantian District. It is one of the oldest ...
(Shenzhen side)
* Luohu station
Luohu station (; Cantonese Jyutping: Lo4 Wu4 Zaam6) is an underground terminus of Line 1 of the Shenzhen Metro in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. It is located beneath the East Plaza of Shenzhen railway station in Shenzhen's Luohu Distri ...
(Shenzhen side)
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
MTR stations in the New Territories
East Rail line
North District, Hong Kong
Closed Area
Former Kowloon–Canton Railway stations
Railway stations in Hong Kong opened in 1949
1949 establishments in Hong Kong