The merged railway service carried 3.22 million passengers on its first day of operations on Sunday, 7 per cent more than was carried by the two separate companies seven days earlier.
But it may take time to judge whether the fare discounts the newly expanded MTR network is offering will tempt commuters to switch to trains.
Yesterday, one businessman who lives in Tin Shui Wai took the MTR to work in Mong Kok for the first time because of the fare concessions.
'I used to take the 69X bus to Mong Kok. It takes slightly more than an hour. I tried the train today to see how long it will take. I haven't decided yet whether to switch to the MTR in the long run,' he said.
It costs HK$13 to take the bus, but HK$15 for the 41-minute MTR ride.
Another commuter who travels from Tin Shui Wai to Wan Chai by bus said he would not switch to the MTR.