Hong Kong - South Island line

[cjp]

Today was the first day of operation linking the north & south of the island and it so much quicker than the congested tunnel.

I think it is their version of the DLR - driverless unstaffed three carriage trains running every 4/5 minutes. Not third rail but overhead electrics like the rest of the MTR system. I took a video from the front surrounded by children,and interested people and some in anoraks (I kid you not).

Quiet with good acceleration and good speed control.

Interesting unlike the London tube they go for the fully staffed station approach and even had extras on for the opening day crowd control fitted with headsets for good communication and extra hand held signs (think "this way to to shop XYZ" type of thing) and except for crowding around the front and rear windows it all went smoothly.

Partly in tunnel but much on concrete viaducts - where would HK be without tons and tons of concrete?

 

[theageofthetra]

Bet it isn't as hairy a bus ride as going over the hill! - Where does it go to on the south side? I also wonder if some of the bus routes will get cut back as a result?

 

[dutchflyer]

In general still all publ. trsp in HKG is running on a commercial profit base-except maybe for some new routes into new housing etc as starter-incentive. Thus time will tell-but experience from other newly opened metrolinks etc in the past does suggest this will most likely happen.
Last year I rode a very long line on DD bus from Kowloon via tunnel and all circling the island west-south till the end near a prison (Stanley, if I recall rightly), taking more as 1 hr 30 mins. But there already were some expressbuslines running through tunnel in stead of over the hill to the busy north-comercial-side of island.

 

[paddington]

Bet it isn't as hairy a bus ride as going over the hill! - Where does it go to on the south side? I also wonder if some of the bus routes will get cut back as a result?

It goes to Ocean Park, a local marine-themed park with rides a la Alton Towers/Chessington etc, an industrial estate and a residential estate.

The trip time to Ocean Park is 4 minutes in contrast to the dedicated bus route 629 which takes half an hour and costs double. Not to mention that most visitors would arrive at Admiralty by MTR anyway (there is nothing there except offices and highest-end shopping / hotels).

Bus routes which duplicate the railway lines will probably be cut or merged with others. However there are a LOT of places in HK which are not served by railways. In the UK, one might not think twice about walking 20 minutes to a station but in HK it needs to be within your own housing estate or else you take a bus (taxi for the wealthy)

The other 3 stations serve about 120,000 residents, although some may choose to continue taking buses or minibuses (which are like to hail-and-ride shared taxis).

Interesting unlike the London tube they go for the fully staffed station approach and even had extras on for the opening day crowd control fitted with headsets for good communication and extra hand held signs (think "this way to to shop XYZ" type of thing) and except for crowding around the front and rear windows it all went smoothly.

London has a similar land surface area to Hong Kong, but the population in Hong Kong is concentrated in 20% of that area. Ap Lei Chau, the island on which the last 2 stations are located, is apparently the second most densely populated island in the world - but should actually be the first as less than half of its surface area is built on. However, maybe it should actually be far down in the list since the effective surface area is 20x more, since most of the buildings have 20 or more storeys.

What I'm getting at is that there are a lot of people in a small area so it makes sense to have humans around. Fares are low compared to the rest of the world because volumes are high, so they can afford to employ staff (on low wages), and the "problems" facing European railway employers don't exist.

I highly doubt there were any signs saying "XYZ shop", as there are no shops worth visiting in that area. Perhaps they were just directions to particular residential buildings and the local mall/market.

 

[paddington]

But there already were some expressbuslines running through tunnel in stead of over the hill to the busy north-comercial-side of island.

Buses have been running through the tunnel since it opened in 1982.

 

[flymo]

Today was the first day of operation linking the north & south of the island and it so much quicker than the congested tunnel.

I think it is their version of the DLR - driverless unstaffed three carriage trains running every 4/5 minutes. Not third rail but overhead electrics like the rest of the MTR system. I took a video from the front surrounded by children,and interested people and some in anoraks (I kid you not).

Quiet with good acceleration and good speed control.

Interesting unlike the London tube they go for the fully staffed station approach and even had extras on for the opening day crowd control fitted with headsets for good communication and extra hand held signs (think "this way to to shop XYZ" type of thing) and except for crowding around the front and rear windows it all went smoothly.

Partly in tunnel but much on concrete viaducts - where would HK be without tons and tons of concrete?

Ah the South Island Line, now my local line as I live in South Horizons. The first day was madness with all manner of people on it. Left home about 07:00, on the train about 10 minutes later and got to Admiralty at 07:20. Changed to the Tsuen Wan line to get to work on the dark side. Second day was better, nice and smooth but Admiralty Station is going to be such a pain. Platform area is so crowded with people getting off the incoming train then people barging past them trying to get on. I joined the centre carriage on my way home about 18:20 and got a seat.

So many people crowded around the front.

Last year I rode a very long line on DD bus from Kowloon via tunnel and all circling the island west-south till the end near a prison (Stanley, if I recall rightly), taking more as 1 hr 30 mins. But there already were some expressbuslines running through tunnel in stead of over the hill to the busy north-comercial-side of island.

That would be the 973. A bus route and a half that with drivers trained on the F1 circuit. Drivers of similar ilk operate the 6/6X/260/73

The South Island line links Admiralty with Ocean Park (theme park and residential/commercial area), Wong Chuk Hang (used to be a huge public housing complex, now being developed as a private housing complex, also an industrial area), Lei Tung (also serves Ap Lei Chau - both residential) and terminates at South Horizons (Residential).

I highly doubt there were any signs saying "XYZ shop", as there are no shops worth visiting in that area. Perhaps they were just directions to particular residential buildings and the local mall/market.

The signs were of that type, i.e. a person holding a pole with directions on it but rather to the interchange platforms on the Tsuen Wan and Island lines rather than 'this way to Mrs. Chan's bun emporium'.

Anyway the service will settle down and the residents will find their preferred way whether it be bus or train. The Transport Department will change some of the services (The TD set the routes, not the bus companies) when the travelling patterns have settled down. I expect a lot of changes.

There was a power outage Thursday afternoon and people were encouraged to 'find alternative means of transport' which drew huge criticism from those opposed to reductions in bus services, i.e. if they were to cut services - what do the residents do ??

The real test will be next Tuesday Jan 3 when businesses are back to normal and schools go back. My days of sitting in traffic queues in the Aberdeen Tunnel for an hour or so are now long gone I hope.

 

[cjp]

Ah the South Island Line, now my local line as I live in South Horizons.

The signs were of that type, i.e. a person holding a pole with directions on it but rather to the interchange platforms on the Tsuen Wan and Island lines rather than 'this way to Mrs. Chan's bun emporium'.

Indeed.

A quick question about the new Whampoa extension - why do a number of trains terminate at the penultimate station (Ho Man Tin) rather than go on to the final stop?

 

[flymo]

A quick question about the new Whampoa extension - why do a number of trains terminate at the penultimate station (Ho Man Tin) rather than go on to the final stop?

Due to building constraints, Whampoa station is a single platform station and as such would reduce the capacity on the Kwun Tong Line if all trains terminated there. To mitigate this the MTR turns every other train around at Ho Man Tin to maintain the 2 minute headway at peak times. These 2 stations are the only 2 I have not cleared yet. That is this weekend's job.

Edit: According to the MTR, the Ho Man Tin terminaters operate between 7 and 9:30am & 4:30 - 7pm M-F; 7:15am - 8pm Sat & 8:40am - 8pm Sun. Other than that they all run through to Whampoa.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Isn't MTR extending Ma On Shan line south of Tai Wei?

 

[flymo]

Isn't MTR extending Ma On Shan line south of Tai Wei?

The Shatin to Central Rail Link (SCL) will eventually link Tai Wai with Central. Lots of preparatory works, Admiralty Station will have 2 more new platforms above the South Island line's platforms 5&6 and below the Tsuen Wan/Island Line 3&4. Still a couple of years to go before that is in place although works are progressing.

Incidentally the Ma On Shan line is the only railway line in HK to run wrong road, i.e. on the right. Weird's me out when I use it....

 

[Harpers Tate]

It appears (from Wikipedia's chronology) that, despite certain delays, this project went from sign-off to running in about 5 1/2 years. it is 4.6 miles long, entirely new, and much of it is in tunnel.

Meanwhile, in Rotherham, Network Rail have yet to complete a project to build a few hundred yards of track, electrify 4 miles or so of track already in place, build a new platform and extend two others. They now expect it to open in summer 2018 some 6 1/2 years after it was approved.