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SCMP Reporter

Passengers on the MTR's Tung Chung line will save up to two minutes of waiting time during morning rush hours from the second half of this year, as the corporation introduces four new trains between the middle of next month and early next year.

The first new train will come  into service by the middle of next month, reducing waiting times by 30 seconds to 7.5 minutes between 8am and 10am. This will increase the frequency of trains from 15 to 16 an hour.

Ultimately, the MTR Corp aims to raise the frequency to 20 trains an hour during the two morning rush hours before the end of this year.

This will ultimately cut waiting times to just six minutes.

However, the average waiting time outside rush hour will be maintained at the current  eight to 10 minutes.

Tony Yeung Sau-on, acting head of operations for the MTR Corp, said the new trains were bought because the company foresaw a potential increase in passengers to and from Lantau Island.

'Adding on new trains allows us to inspect and repair our existing ones, but at the same time maintain the frequency,' he said. Kwai Tsing district councillor Andy Lai Siu-tong said he was pleased to see a more frequent rail link between Tsing Yi, Tung Chung  and the rest of Hong Kong.

'[Reducing] the waiting duration from eight to six minutes can save residents 25 per cent of their time  on the platform,' he said.

'I see it as a positive response to the people's demand for more frequent transport, in particular during busy hours.'

He suggested that a review should be carried out to find how long passengers  will spend waiting for trains after the new service is introduced.

The new trains, made in Korea, had the same look and colours as the ones currently in service, which were manufactured in Spain.

However, they feature designs to improve air circulation.

Mr Yeung said the handles for passengers to make emergency calls  had also been made more accessible.

'We have had some comments that the existing handles were 'hidden' among the crowd when the train was full,' he said.

'Now the handle is put beside the flashing system map and passengers should be able to find it  quite easily.'



New MTR trains to reduce waiting time