Admiralty Station (MTR)
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Admiralty () is a
Mass Transit Railway The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is a major public transport network serving :Hong Kong. Operated by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), it consists of heavy rail, light rail, and feeder bus service centred on a 10-line rapid transit network ...
(MTR) station in
Admiralty, Hong Kong Admiralty is the eastern extension of the central business district (adjacent to, but separate from, Central) on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. It is located on the eastern end of the Central and Western District, bordered by Wan Chai to ...
. The station's
livery A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery will often have elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or ...
is blue and white. Served by the largest number of lines of any MTR station at four: the , the , the , and the , Admiralty is a major interchange station within the MTR network. The station and surrounding area are named after HMS ''Tamar'', once the headquarters of the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
in Hong Kong. It was built on the former site of the
naval dockyard A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that u ...
s, which were built in 1878 and demolished in the 1970s. The Chinese name, which translates to "gold clock", refers to a clock with gold-coloured numerals and hands that was located on the main building of
Wellington Barracks Wellington Barracks is a military barracks in Westminster, central London, for the Foot Guards battalions on public duties in that area. The building is located about three hundred yards from Buckingham Palace, allowing the guard to be able to ...
from 1890 to 1962. Between 2011 and 2016, the station underwent major expansion to accommodate two new sets of platforms underneath the original structure to serve two more MTR lines, the and the (part of the
Sha Tin to Central Link The Sha Tin to Central Link (abbreviated SCL; ) is an extension of the MTR rapid transit network. It is divided into two sections. The first section, named "Tuen Ma line (Phase 1)”, runs from Tai Wai station in the New Territories to Hu ...
project). The opened in 2016, while the East Rail line platforms opened on 15 May 2022.


History


Development and construction

The government gave the
Mass Transit Railway Corporation MTR Corporation Limited is a majority government-owned public transport operator and property developer in Hong Kong which operates the Mass Transit Railway, the most popular public transport network in Hong Kong. It is listed on the Hong ...
first refusal on the site, which was sold to it in 1976 for around HK$200 million for cash and equity consideration.Malcolm Surry
Metro's role in the property game
South China Morning Post, 16 July 1976
The Admiralty Centre, United Centre and Queensway Plaza commercial buildings formed part of the development, and sit directly above the station. On 12 February 1980, the segment of the first MTR line between and was opened. At the time, Admiralty and Central stations were the only two MTR stations on Hong Kong Island. The platforms began serving the on 10 May 1982. Admiralty was designed to be a transfer station with the then-planned . On 31 May 1985, the first phase of the Island line (between Admiralty and ) opened, with Admiralty the temporary western terminus of the Island line. To facilitate
cross-platform interchange A cross-platform interchange is a type of interchange between different lines at a metro (or other railway) station. The term originates with the London Underground; such layouts exist in other networks but are not commonly so named. In the Uni ...
, the Tsuen Wan- and Chai Wan-bound platforms were located on a very wide
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 ...
on the lower level, while the Central-bound and termination platforms shared another very wide island platform on the upper level. When the second part of the Island line (Admiralty to ) opened in 1986, the termination platform became the Sheung Wan-bound platform, while the other platforms remained unchanged.


2004 arson attack

At 9:14 a.m. on 5 January 2004, 14 passengers suffered minor injuries when a 55-year-old man suffering from
delusional disorder Delusional disorder is a mental illness in which a person has delusions, but with no accompanying prominent hallucinations, thought disorder, mood disorder, or significant flattening of affect.American Psychiatric Association. (2013). ''Diagnostic ...
ignited two
gas cylinders A gas cylinder is a pressure vessel for storage and containment of gases at above atmospheric pressure. High-pressure gas cylinders are also called ''bottles''. Inside the cylinder the stored contents may be in a state of compressed gas, vapor ...
full of
paint thinner A paint thinner is a solvent used to thin oil-based paints. Solvents labeled "paint thinner" are usually mineral spirits having a flash point at about 40 °C (104 °F), the same as some popular brands of charcoal starter. Common solv ...
in the first train car of a Central-bound train from . The driver decided to complete the journey and passengers were evacuated from the train in Admiralty.


Station expansion and new lines

Admiralty station was expanded to serve two additional lines - the on level L6 and the on level L5. The South Island line platforms opened on 28 December 2016, after a public open day on 24th of that month, giving residents in the Southern District quicker access to Hong Kong Island's central business district. The opening date was delayed from 2015 due to technical problems in the deep tunnels for the new platforms. The East Rail line began servicing Admiralty on 15 May 2022, allowing commuters from the northeast
New Territories The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...
to travel directly to Admiralty. A new single level underground interchange concourse with natural light was built to the east of the original concourse, allowing passengers to transfer to the new lines. The atrium was also expanded. The station expansion, located under
Harcourt Garden Harcourt Garden () is a small urban park in Admiralty, Hong Kong, constructed in the mid-1990s.
, incorporates 34 escalators and five lifts to integrate with the existing station. The East Rail line takes up one level under the interchange concourse, with the South Island line being directly below it. Exits E1 and E2 were rebuilt as one exit to accommodate the glass roof of the interchange concourse and has since opened. While the East Rail line tracks will have sidings for terminating trains south of the station, the South Island line tracks end at bumper blocks north of the station with no overrun track. File:Admiralty Station 2016 12 part7.jpg, South Island line Platform 5 File:Admiralty Station 2016 12 part6.jpg, South Island line Platform 6 File:Admiralty Station Toilet.jpg, New toilets on Level 5 in paid area File:MTR ADM (15).JPG, An image of when SCL platforms were still behind hoardings Escalator to South Island Line 20161228.jpg, Signs directing passengers to the newly opened South Island line on its opening day (28 December 2016) The narrowest part of the existing platforms on L3 was widened to provide better access to the first and second cars of the Tsuen Wan line trains, as well as last two cars of Island line trains. Island line passengers travelling towards Tsuen Wan now have easier access to these cars. The expansion brought new toilets in the paid area, a lift between the concourse and, ground level, and artwork in the station. The new station has two artworks. The first is ''Sense of Green'' by Tony Ip, which is a new bamboo-covered landscaped deck over Harcourt Garden. The second, ''Urban Soundscape'' by Otto Li, is located along either side of the escalator shaft between the new and current stations. It depicts passengers' journeys through Admiralty.


Usage and overcrowding

As the primary interchange point between the , the , the , and the , Admiralty is heavily congested during rush hours. Admiralty and are the only cross-platform interchange stations on
Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...
between lines serving it and
Kowloon Kowloon () is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. With a population of 2,019,533 and a population density of in 2006, it is the most populous area in Hong Kong, compared with Hong Kong Island and t ...
in the MTR system. It is also the only interchange station for the South Island line. Despite trains departing at capacity (every 2.1 minutes), commuters frequently have to board the second or even the third train when changing lines. The situation deteriorated following fare cuts following the
MTR–KCR merger Two Hong Kong railway companies merged operations in 2007: the Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) and the Mass Transit Railway (MTR). Background There had already been some discussion of merging the KCRC itself, which was also government-owned, ...
.Passengers feel the crush after fare reductions, Anita Lam, 10 March 2008, ''
South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained ...
'

/ref> Temporary measures are undertaken during peak hours, including the deployment of additional station assistants, adjustment of escalator directions and making pacifying announcements by local celebrities. During evening peak hours, some Tsuen Wan line trains are taken out of service at Central, and placed back into service at Admiralty, in order to relieve the demand at Admiralty. In the long term, the existing signalling system of Tsuen Wan line will be upgraded by Thales Group, Thales Transport & Security in 2018. In addition, the 2022 extension of the (from to Admiralty) has helped to divert some cross-harbour demand from the Tsuen Wan line, thereby reducing congestion. File:Foule à la station Admiralty.JPG, Crowd waiting to transfer train at Admiralty File:MTR ADM (4).JPG, The busiest part of Admiralty during the evening peak hour – Tsuen Wan line platform for Tsuen Wan-bound train


Station layout

Admiralty station has a total of six underground floors; the uppermost (L1) floor has the
fare control 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 ...
, lobby, shops, Customer Service Centre and other major facilities. On floor L2, passengers can access Platforms 4 (Tsuen Wan line to Central) and 3 (Island line to Chai Wan). One floor down, on level L3, are Platforms 2 (Island line to ) and 1 (Tsuen Wan line to Tsuen Wan). There are very wide passageways between the two platforms on each of floors L2 and L3; they are also curved platforms with trains going in opposite directions. The platforms are in the shape of a trapezium. Because all the platforms are curved, there are large stickers in front of the
platform screen doors Platform screen doors (PSDs), also known as platform edge doors (PEDs), are used at some train, rapid transit and people mover stations to separate the platform from train tracks, as well as on some bus rapid transit, tram and light rail syste ...
with "
Mind the gap "Mind the gap" () or sometimes "watch the gap" is an audible or visual warning phrase issued to rail passengers to take caution while crossing the horizontal, and in some cases vertical, spatial gap between the train door and the station ...
" text, which can only be found in this station. Passengers travelling from Eastern District and
Wan Chai District Wan Chai District is one of the districts of Hong Kong, 18 districts of Hong Kong. Of the four on Hong Kong Island, it is north-central, and had 152,608 residents in 2011, a fall from 167,146 residents in 2001. The district has the second-high ...
can walk across to platform 1 to board the Tsuen Wan line trains bound for
Kowloon Kowloon () is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. With a population of 2,019,533 and a population density of in 2006, it is the most populous area in Hong Kong, compared with Hong Kong Island and t ...
,
Kwai Chung Kwai Chung is an urban area within Tsuen Wan New Town in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Together with Tsing Yi Island, it is part of the Kwai Tsing District District of Hong Kong. It is also part of Tsuen Wan New Town. In 2000, it had a populat ...
and
Tsuen Wan Tsuen Wan (formerly also spelled Tsun Wan) is a town built on a bay in the western New Territories of Hong Kong, opposite of Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged from the surrounding villages and flee ...
. Passengers travelling from Kowloon, Kwai Chung and Tsuen Wan can walk across and board the Island line trains bound for Chai Wan from platform 3. Admiralty Station Toilet 2022 05 part2.jpg, Toilets in the paid area next Exit E (May 2022) Admiralty Station concourse 2022 05 part3.jpg, L1 Concourse, near Exit E (May 2022) Admiralty Station Transfer Lobby 2022 05 part2.jpg, L4 level transferway escalators (May 2022) Admiralty Station platforms 2022 05 part25.jpg, Level L5, transfer passageway between the two East Rail line platforms (May 2022) Admiralty Station Level 5 Escalator 2022 05 part1.jpg, L5, signs directing passengers to the Tsuen Wan and Island line platforms (May 2022) Admiralty Station platforms 2022 05 part17.jpg, East Rail line Platform 7 (May 2022) Admiralty Station artwork 2022 05 part1.jpg, Artwork on the Exit E concourse HK Admiralty 金鐘站 MTR Station platform 18pm peak hour visitors January 2020 SS2 02.jpg, Passengers waiting for -bound trains on Thursday, 16 January 2020.


Entrances and exits

Admiralty is part of the central business district of Hong Kong Island. There are many office buildings around the station. A major shopping centre, Pacific Place, is accessed through a pedestrian walkway from Exit F. *A: Admiralty Centre *B: Drake Street,
Lippo Centre Lippo Group is an Indonesian multinational conglomerate company. The company operates internationally providing property development and management services. It was founded by Mochtar Riady. Lippo has a collective presence across Asia and Nor ...
*C1: Queensway Plaza *C2: Taxi stand *D: United Centre *E1: Rodney Street *E2:
CITIC Tower CITIC Tower ( zh, 中信大廈) is a 33-storey office building on Tim Mei Avenue, Admiralty, Hong Kong, Admiralty, Hong Kong. It is the corporate headquarters of CITIC Limited, CITIC Pacific Ltd, a conglomerate (company), conglomerate publicly ...
*F: Pacific Place Admiralty Station Exit E 2022 05 part3.jpg, Exit E (May 2022) MTR ADM (2).JPG, Exit E1 before its renovation (March 2010)


Transport connections

There is a bus terminus stretching across the length of Admiralty that can be reached from exits B, C2 and D. The terminus is served by buses that connect to many different parts of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories.


Bus routes

*
Bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
** KMB, serving only cross- harbour routes on
Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...
** First Bus ** Citybus **Bus terminuses within walking distance of the station: ***Admiralty (West) – Exit B ***Admiralty (Tamar Street) – Exit B ***Admiralty (Drake Street) – Exit C2 ***Admiralty (East) – Exit D ***Admiralty (Rodney Street) – between Exit D


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Admiralty Station (Mtr) Admiralty, Hong Kong Central, Hong Kong MTR stations on Hong Kong Island Tsuen Wan line Island line (MTR) East Rail line South Island line Railway stations in Hong Kong opened in 1980 Arson in Hong Kong 1980 establishments in Hong Kong