Island Line, MTR
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The Island line is one of eleven lines of the
MTR 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 ...
, the
mass transit system Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
in Hong Kong. It runs from
Kennedy Town Kennedy Town is at the western end of Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It was named after Arthur Edward Kennedy, the 7th Governor of Hong Kong from 1872 to 1877. Administratively, it is part of Central and Western District. Due to its ...
in the Western district to Chai Wan in the Eastern District 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 ...
, passing through the territory's major business districts of
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, and connecting them with built-up areas on the north shore of the island. The line first opened on 31 May 1985. As of 2022 it travels in 25 minutes along its route, serving 17 stations. The line is indicated by the colour dark blue on the MTR route map.


History

The
Hong Kong Government The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the Executive (government), executive authorities of Hong Kong Special administrative regions of China, ...
authorised the construction of the -long Island line in December 1980, after rejecting plans to extend the tram to Chai Wan. On 31 May 1985 the Island line opened with services operating between
Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral * Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings *Admiralty, Tr ...
and Chai Wan stations in six-car trains. The opening ceremony was held at Tai Koo station and was officiated by then-MTR chairman
Sir Wilfrid Newton Sir Charles Wilfrid Newton, CBE (11 December 1928 – 28 November 2012) was managing director of Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) in the 1980s and London Regional Transport in the 1990s. History Charles Wilfrid Newton was bo ...
and Governor of Hong Kong
Sir Edward Youde Sir Edward Youde (; Cantonese: ''Yau Tak''; 19 June 1924 – 5 December 1986) was a British administrator, diplomat and Sinologist. He served as Governor of Hong Kong between 20 May 1982 and his death on 5 December 1986. Early years Youde ...
, who unveiled the commemorative plaques at the station concourse. On 23 May 1986, the Island line was extended to Central and
Sheung Wan Sheung Wan is an area in Hong Kong, located in the north-west of Hong Kong Island, between Central and Sai Ying Pun. Administratively, it is part of the Central and Western District. The name can be variously interpreted as ''Upper Dist ...
stations. Both Admiralty and Central stations became interchange stations with the Tsuen Wan line (which was the until 26 April 1982). As part of this extension, each train was lengthened to eight cars.


Quarry Bay Congestion Relief

After the Kwun Tong line was extended to Quarry Bay station through the Eastern Harbour Crossing on 1 October 1989, that station became an interchange station with the Island line, but unlike that at Admiralty, there is no cross-platform arrangement requiring passengers to use two escalators and a long passageway in between to change between the platforms of the lines. In a response to the resulting congestion, the government recommended the Quarry Bay Congestion Relief Works project, and decided to expand North Point station to include a second interchange with the Kwun Tong line, with construction starting in July 1998. The North Point interchange opened on 27 September 2001, and proved to be a much more efficient method of interchanging, as the new station featured cross-platform interchange, reducing the time required to interchange from five minutes at Quarry Bay station to less than one minute. On 4 August 2002, both these stations became interchange stations with the new Tseung Kwan O line which had taken over the harbour crossing section from the Kwun Tong line.


Western extension

In 2002, the MTRC announced that it would use HK$300 million to construct the West and South Island lines, provided that the Government would award subsidies towards the project. No sooner, in May 2002, the first proposal from the MTRC detailed a western extension of the existing Island line towards Kennedy Town. However the plan was abruptly brought to a halt due to
land reclamation Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamati ...
obstacles on the western coast of
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 ...
, and the enormous cost and uncertainties concerning the Hong Kong Government's subsidies for the project. However, the current plan for the new lines to the Southern District would require parts of the Western extension in order for it to be completed. As a result, the MTR Corporation was conducting extensive surveys as well as public forums to gather opinion and suggestions concerning the alignment of the extension and location of the Sai Ying Pun, Shek Tong Tsui and Kennedy Town stations for the West Island line. Construction commenced on the Island line's western extension to
Kennedy Town Kennedy Town is at the western end of Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It was named after Arthur Edward Kennedy, the 7th Governor of Hong Kong from 1872 to 1877. Administratively, it is part of Central and Western District. Due to its ...
in 2009 and on 28 December 2014, the extension opened to passenger services, providing direct heavy rail connection to the western district of Hong Kong Island for the first time. New intermediate stations at Sai Ying Pun and the University of Hong Kong also opened as part of the extension; however, construction delayed the opening of Sai Ying Pun station to 29 March 2015.


Route description

The Island line resembles the deep-level lines of the London Underground, as most of the route and stations along the line are deep underground and consist of
cylindrical A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an infini ...
tunnels. This is the result of a lack of available land, as the construction plans for the line required it to be built under major roads. Only the segment of the line east of Shau Kei Wan has space for track expansion and thus the line emerges to the surface at Heng Fa Chuen, and then on a
viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide v ...
, which runs alongside Shing Tai Road, and which passes over
Chai Wan Park Chai Wan Park () is one of the largest parks in Hong Kong. Located in Chai Wan of Hong Kong near Chai Wan station, it occupies 6.55 hectares. Completed by Urban Council on 21 April 1993, the park is now managed by Leisure and Cultural Services De ...
and Island Eastern Corridor above ground, all the way to Chai Wan. The route of the original underground section of the line is also served by Hong Kong Tramways at surface level (the West Island line extension follows its own routing further inline from the tramway). This brought concerns that the tram system might be abolished when the MTR line was to be built, but a decision to save the tramline was made in 1980; and it serves as a backup in the event of service breakdown and a cheaper alternative for shorter journeys. Because of the depth of the line, most underground stations on this line have curved walls on the platforms, which are due to the route's cylindrical tunnels, only with a greater diameter. Of the underground stations not bearing this feature, Tai Koo station is itself a large tube containing both the concourse and the platform, Sai Ying Pun station and HKU station consists of station boxes that are themselves, also tube-like though flatter, while Shau Kei Wan,
Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral * Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings *Admiralty, Tr ...
,
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and
Kennedy Town Kennedy Town is at the western end of Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It was named after Arthur Edward Kennedy, the 7th Governor of Hong Kong from 1872 to 1877. Administratively, it is part of Central and Western District. Due to its ...
stations are built using the cut-and-cover method. Because most stations were built under roads, most of the platforms are curved, resulting in large platform gaps. The few stations where the platforms are otherwise relatively straight are those on the West Island line as well as North Point, Quarry Bay, Tai Koo, Heng Fa Chuen and Chai Wan. Also, due to geographical constraints, the platforms of Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Tin Hau and Sai Wan Ho are located on two different levels. This also separates the platform and concourse into two parts, so there are some passageways and long escalators on those stations to link between the platform and concourse. All Island line stations except Heng Fa Chuen and Chai Wan have their Chinese station names written in Chinese calligraphy as part of the stations' livery. A retired architect, Abe Au Kit-tong, involved in the design of the Island line explained that calligraphy are written in large fonts to alleviate the psychological effect caused by the narrow platforms and the curvature of the walls, in addition to remind passengers what this stop is. This explains why Heng Fa Chuen and Chai Wan stations do not have calligraphy forming part of its livery, as they are built above ground rather than underground. This feature is also shared amongst some newer MTR stations such as those on the Tseung Kwan O line and Lam Tin station on the Kwun Tong line.


Gallery

File:Admiralty Station 2014 04 part1.JPG, Admiralty station, Island line platform File:A135-A138(054) Island Line 17-07-2018.jpg, Train approaching
Heng Fa Chuen station Heng Fa Chuen is a station on the 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. It is the only station on the line that is on the ground lev ...
File:Chai Wan Station Platform 201303.jpg, A train waiting to depart from
Chai Wan station Chai Wan () is the eastern terminus of the MTR on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is the only station on the Island line that is elevated. The station is located at the junction of Chai Wan Road and Island Eastern Corridor, and it serves Siu ...
, terminus of the Island line File:Tai Koo opening.jpg, Plaque of MTR Island line opening ceremony held at Tai Koo station on 31 May 1985 by
Sir Edward Youde Sir Edward Youde (; Cantonese: ''Yau Tak''; 19 June 1924 – 5 December 1986) was a British administrator, diplomat and Sinologist. He served as Governor of Hong Kong between 20 May 1982 and his death on 5 December 1986. Early years Youde ...
, then governor of Hong Kong


Stations

This is a list of the
stations Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...
on the Island line. List


Notes


Future development

A proposal suggests extending the Island line eastward to terminate at a new
Siu Sai Wan station Siu Sai Wan Extension was a proposed extension of the Island line to Siu Sai Wan on the eastern end of the Hong Kong Island. A plan was revealed in 2001 after many calls from the Eastern District Board (later District Council) since 1991. Alth ...
.


See also

* List of areas of Hong Kong * North Island line * Transport in Hong Kong


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Island line (Mtr) MTR lines Hong Kong Island Railway lines opened in 1985 1432 mm gauge railways in Hong Kong 1500 V DC railway electrification