Hong Kong train fans queue before dawn for first rides on long-delayed section of Sha Tin to Central link, city’s longest rail corridor
- Hundreds of residents rushed down the stairs to board the 5.50am train to Tuen Mun when the station doors opened
- The now fully operational Tuen Ma line connects existing lines to form an uninterrupted 56km stretch
Hong Kong rail enthusiasts rushed to board the first train on the now fully operational Tuen Ma line on Sunday, as the key section of the long-overdue HK$90.7 billion Sha Tin to Central link – the most expensive rail project in city history – finally opened.
An eager crowd of more than 100 people was already waiting impatiently outside Sung Wong Toi Station in Ma Tau Chung at 4am to take the train, which departed for Tuen Mun at 5.50am.
Akita Sin, 29, a grocery store cashier, had been there since 12.30am.
“It’s a new line and a new train. We’re all so happy,” he said. “At least there’s an activity for us to do and have fun instead of staying at home.”
01:03
Hong Kong train fans rush for first rides on long-delayed section of Sha Tin to Central link
Sin said he was most excited about the souvenirs he would receive, which included key chains, hand sanitisers and masks.
“We received chocolate last year for the opening of phase 1, because it was Valentine’s Day. I’m looking forward to what we’ll get this time,” he said.
A 16-year-old student surnamed Lam, who lives in Tuen Mun, arrived at 1am and brought along his GoPro to live-stream the occasion.
“This new line will make it more convenient for me to get into the city,” he said. “I want to live-stream everything as I get on the first train.”
By the time the station doors opened, a crowd numbering in the hundreds ran down the stairs, including eight-year-old Samir Yip.
“I was running so fast, I was completely out of breath. I’m so sweaty now,” Yip said. “I’m so excited to explore the new station and see the train.”
Railway fans cheered when the doors closed for the first time, chanting “long live” as the train sped down the track. Riders would alight at each stop to inspect the stations, taking selfies by the station name signs, before hopping back on.
As of 8pm, more than 72,000 people had passed through the new Sung Wong Toi and To Kwa Wan MTR stations.
The completion of the Tuen Ma line has created the city’s longest rail corridor, at 56km, by connecting existing lines via the new stations. It has a total of 27 stations.
The first phase, connecting Wu Kai Sha and Kai Tak by way of Tai Wai, Hin Keng and Diamond Hill, debuted in February last year. The rest of the line running from Kai Tak to Hung Hom through Sung Wong Toi, To Kwa Wan and Ho Man Tin opened on Sunday.
The Tuen Ma line was originally expected to open in mid-2019 after an earlier target of December 2018 was pushed back because of construction problems.
JC Cheng, 24, noted that the city’s media outlets deserved credit for exposing the scandal.
It was further delayed to this month for a reinforcement project at the scandal-hit Hung Hom station, after Jason Poon Chuk-hung, managing director of China Technology, blew the whistle on defective work in May 2018.
“Thank you Mr Poon,” Cheng said, referring to the whistle-blower. “Freedom of the press is so important. We need different media outlets to express different voices.
“The reason we can have a safe journey is because of the whistle-blower forcing the MTR to fix the problems.”
Raymond Tse, 70, said he was impressed by the exhibition and would visit again when it was less crowded.
“I think it’s very special that we can see so many of the artefacts unearthed during construction displayed here,” he said.
MTR stations are retired architect’s ‘museum of calligraphy’
Jadon Kwok, six, told the Post he was happy to see the relics but was also left “slightly disappointed” that a well and water channel dating to the Song-Yuan period (960 to 1368) were not visible to the public.
The underground station’s roof has been modified to form a concrete trough, which can be replaced with a transparent panel allowing passengers to see the well through the ceiling of the station’s concourse.
MTR operations director Tony Lee Kar-yun said more staff would be deployed to help passengers and reminded commuters to plan their journeys ahead of rush hour on Monday.
“In the initial phase of the new line’s opening, it may take some time for operations to run smoothly. If problems occur, we hope passengers will understand,” he said.
As for the cross-harbour section of the Sha Tin to Central link between Hung Hom and Admiralty, already pushed back from the fourth quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2022, more delays loom. Work on it was affected by signalling system glitches for the connecting East Rail line in September last year.
