Holidays cut MTR passenger tally
MTR Corp's passenger numbers declined 0.7 per cent last month on a year-on-year basis because of extra holidays.
The number of passengers at the four MTR urban lines fell to 63.05 million from 63.45 million.
The corporation's Airport Express service recorded an even sharper decline in patronage, at 10.91 per cent to 669,000 because most of the check-in counters in Hong Kong and Kowloon stations have remained closed since September 11.
MTRC said last month's patronage was affected by two public holidays, compared with only one in May last year.
'The year-on-year figures still showed strong competition from buses, but it seemed there was benign improvement on a month-on-month basis,' an analyst at a European brokerage said.
For the first five months, MTR trains carried more passengers on the Tsuen Wan, Tung Chung, Island and Kwun Tong lines, with patronage growing 1 per cent against last year.
Analysts attributed the growth mainly to a rising population along the Tung Chung line as a number of residential projects above Tung Chung, Olympic and Kowloon stations were completed.
'We expect significant improvement in passenger numbers in August when the Tseung Kwan O rail extension comes into service,' the analyst said.
The extension, which links Tseung Kwan O in southeastern Kowloon to North Point, will serve a population of about 300,000 in Tseung Kwan O.
In the longer term, passenger growth remains uncertain as MTRC is still awaiting the much-delayed bidding results of the HK$30 billion Sha Tin to Central rail project.
MTRC is battling with rival Kowloon-Canton Railway Corp for the HK$30 billion project - a railway route linking Sha Tin and Central through the fourth harbour-crossing tunnel. It is an open secret that the Government favours KCRC.
Results of the controversial project, which have been delayed since last December, are expected next month or in August, according to analysts.
'I will say the announcement is likely to be made next month or in August as the ministerial system will be put in place on July 1,' an analyst at a United States brokerage said.
