Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation launches most expensive rail line ever (but don’t all rush at once)
- Amid coronavirus fears, rail enthusiasts urged not to pack the station for inaugural service on first phase of Sha Tin-Central link
- First train from Kai Tak to Wu Kai Sha will set off at 5.45am on Valentine’s Day
Hong Kong’s most expensive rail project will make its long-awaited debut on Friday morning, but city rail enthusiasts have been urged not to rush to try the new service given the coronavirus threat.
The call for riders’ restraint came on Wednesday, with the first part of the HK$99.1 billion (US$12.7 billion) Sha Tin-Central link set to be operational from Valentine’s Day. The Tuen Ma line phase 1 will connect Wu Kai Sha to Kai Tak through Tai Wai, Hin Keng and Diamond Hill.
Alan Cheng Kwan-hing, the MTR Corporation’s general manager for special duties, said the rail giant had previously estimated the new section would draw 70,000 to 80,000 passengers a day, but had lowered expectations in view of the outbreak of the coronavirus, recently officially renamed Covid-19.
On Friday, a special first train bound for Wu Kai Sha was scheduled to set off from Kai Tak at 5.45am. The journey will take 29 minutes, and the service will run at 3.5-minute intervals during the morning rush hour.
