Trains take the strain as Hong Kong commuters flock to new MTR stations
Busy first working day at Ho Man Tin and Whampoa stations leaves minibus operators counting the cost in the congested area
Tens of thousands of commuters flocked to the new MTR stations in Ho Man Tin and Whampoa on Monday, preferring packed railway carriages to the heavy road congestion they used to endure.
Those who get on at Whampoa or Ho Man Tin must change trains at Yau Ma Tei station to reach Tsim Sha Tsui or Hong Kong Island, prompting worries that the station would struggle to accommodate such a surge in passenger flow.
“According to observations by our staff members this morning, there was a slight increase in the number of passengers, but the overall order was satisfactory,” MTR head of operating Alan Cheng Kwan-hing said, adding that waiting times for trains were “roughly the same”.
After complaints of faulty lifts and wrong signage displays on Sunday, there were no hiccups on Monday, with 25,400 commuters passing through the gates of Ho Man Tin and Whampoa stations by 11am, rising to 62,700 by 5pm.
Many of those shunned the buses and minibuses they used to take to avoid heavy congestion in the area.