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A passenger who rode on the first MTR train in 1979,  yesterday said he has been a fan of the trains ever since that exciting day in his boyhood.

Adverting executive Alan Cheung Siu-man, a guest invited by MTR Corporation to celebrate its 25th anniversary this year, was only nine when he rode on the inaugural train.

Mr Cheung said his exact memory of the event was 'hazy', but he remembered the thrilling sense of modernity, bright lights and neat signs. 'It was a very exciting experience', he said.

The first  run took place on October 1, 1979, and was a charity event for the Community Chest, running between Shek Kip Mei and Kwun Tong stations. The journey took about 30 minutes and cost riders $50.  Mr Cheung said he had since collected commemorative tickets issued by the company.

He has kept the evidence of his ride - a picture of him featured in a story about the first run  in  Sing Pao.

To celebrate the  anniversary,  the MTR will run a special train, which it unveiled yesterday.

The exterior of the train, which will be used on the Tsuen Wan line until the end of the year, has been painted with murals of local tourism hotspots. Inside the compartments, passengers will see photos of MTR stations past and present.

Also at yesterday's unveiling were station worker Amy Lo Fung-kwun and train operator Chan Shu-sun, who have been with the  company since its inception.

Ms Lo said she almost become a bride because of her work as a station operator at the Tin Hau station 13 years ago.

'I remember helping an elderly couple who had just returned from overseas.  The next day, I saw them again at the station, looking for me,' she said.

'The couple were in Hong Kong looking  for a bride for their son and they thought I was suitable because of the help I had given them.  They said they would bring their son to meet me the next day,' Ms Lo said.

'Unfortunately, I was off duty the following day, so I'll never know if they came back or not.'

Mr Chan said the past 25 years had seen the trains become a lot more comfortable for  train operators. The first  trains did not have air-conditioning in the drivers' compartment.

'There was no air-conditioning but it was acceptable. The first trains were originally designed in the UK, so I guess they were not totally right for Hong Kong,' he said.

The MTR is planning a series of other events to mark the anniversary, including the release of a commemorative ticket set in September.



After 25 years, MTR's still the ticket for man who rode first train