MTR Corp to increase service on four lines

The MTR Corporation will add 124 train trips every week on four of its main rail lines this year, raising its capacity by more than 350,000 passengers.

The additions will be mainly on the West Rail Line, where 69 train trips a week will be added in the non-peak period on weekday and Saturday nights. The frequency will be increased from one train every six to seven minutes to one every 5½ minutes.

From November, 49 train trips will be added to the Kwun Tong Line, Tsuen Wan Line and Island line on Friday evenings. The MTR Corporation's chief of operations, Adi Lau Tin-shing, said the company would also add a train on the Island line during the morning peak hours from North Point to Sheung Wan, and then from there to Chai Wan.

On the West Rail Line, an extra train will run from Hung Hom to Mei Foo, and then from Tin Shui Wai to Hung Hom.

"We noticed that most people are going to the urban area for work in the morning, and the demand for train services going from Hung Hom to Tuen Mun is very low," Lau said. "But many are taking the West Rail to the urban area from Tin Shui Wai at that time."

He said the addition would reduce West Rail passengers' waiting time by 10 seconds, from three minutes.

He said that together with the increased trips on the East Rail Line and light rail in April, the railway would have added 136 train trips weekly to its system and would be carrying 390,000 more passengers.