Mega Hong Kong railway interchange leaves some commuters lost and confused on first working day of new cross-harbour extension
- Following opening of East Rail extension, Admiralty station has become a mega interchange with platforms for four MTR lines
- Dozens of MTR staff are positioned around the station to point passengers in the right direction
Thousands of commuters, some lost and confused, swarmed through a mega railway interchange at Hong Kong’s Admiralty station on Monday morning, the first working day since the opening of the East Rail line cross-harbour extension.
Some passengers, unsure about which escalators to use or where the different platforms were located, turned to the dozens of MTR staff positioned around the station holding signboards, to ask for directions.
To get to the Tsuen Wan line, passengers coming from the East Rail line have to take an escalator that stretches four storeys, a transfer that takes about two minutes.
03:22
Hong Kong railfans flock to take first train of new cross-harbour rail
Pete Lau, a designer who works in Wong Chuk Hang, mistakenly took the escalator up to the Tsuen Wan line platform, instead of heading one floor down to the South Island line.
“The station is so big. Once I took the wrong escalator it became a huge detour,” the 30-year-old said.
The long-awaited cross-harbour extension runs from Hung Hom to Admiralty, via a new Exhibition Centre station, and is the final section of Hong Kong’s costliest rail project.
Following the extension’s opening, Admiralty station has become a mega interchange with platforms over six storeys for four MTR lines – the East Rail, Tsuen Wan, Island and South Island. Passengers can cross the harbour using either the Tsuen Wan or East Rail lines.