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Olga Wong

Commuters using local trains and cross-border rail services to Guangdong must pay more from as early as next month, under annual fare adjustments and the MTR Corporation's attempt to recover operating costs.
Trips on MTR trains within the city will cost 4.3 per cent more on average from June 21, with some rising more than 6 per cent.
Fares for through trains to Guangdong will be HK$10 to HK$20 higher from July 15, increasing up to 9.5 per cent compared with 1998 levels.
The corporation said the revised Guangdong fares did not mark an increase, however.
"It is only an adjustment back to 1995 levels," a spokeswoman said. "The company cut prices in 1998 and [operation] costs have increased over the years."
She said most of the roughly 12,000 people who rode through trains daily to mainland cities last year alighted in Guangdong.
MTR fare rises do not require approval from the government, the railway giant's major shareholder.
The announcement yesterday puts the MTR under renewed pressure to review its mechanism for annual fare adjustments of local trips, which will allow it to pocket HK$100 million from the upcoming revisions after HK$500 million in concessions planned for the year ahead is deducted from projected earnings of HK$600 million.
The higher fares are looming despite a 20 per cent increase in profits last year, and represent the sixth yearly rise in a row.
Unlike last year, the company would not spend all its earnings on concessions. MTR commercial director Jeny Yeung Mei-chun said it was because they had budgeted HK$300 million to buy 10 new Light Rail trains and 10 buses to better serve the northwestern New Territories.
Tang Ka-piu, deputy chairman of the Legislative Council's transport panel, was upset by the smaller concessions.
"The fares of local trips should be offset by the bigger price increases on through trains. People crossing the border still have options," he said. "Local fare rises should require the government's approval and should be banned when the company's profit reaches a certain level."
Only 2.5 per cent of all local trips will remain unchanged, while about 21 per cent will face a rise of 50 HK cents or more.
Concessions coming up include a five-month "10 per cent same-day second-trip discount" until the end of November, and halved fares during six days over Christmas, the Lunar New Year and Easter.
Others include extending for another year the existing early-bird discounts and "MTR City Saver" promotional tickets.


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MTR Corporation

MTR fares to increase for sixth straight year - this time covering trains to Guangdong

MTR fares to go up for sixth year

News

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Economy

Higher charges for travel within city will take effect in three weeks


Higher charges for travel within city will take effect in three weeks, and this time, railway giant will also charge more for trains to Guangdong.


MTR fares to increase for sixth straight year - this time covering trains to Guangdong

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Higher charges for travel within city will take effect in three weeks

Higher charges for travel within city will take effect in three weeks