Kowloon-Canton Railway
Encyclopedia
The Kowloon–Canton Railway (KCR; Traditional Chinese: 九廣鐵路) refers to a railway network in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 which is now combined with the MTR
MTR
Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...

 railway system, comprising rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...

 services, a light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...

 system and feeder bus routes within Hong Kong, and intercity
Inter-city rail
Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country...

 passenger and freight train services to the rest of China. Since 2 December 2007, the network has been operated by the MTR Corporation Limited
MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation Limited is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange and included in the Hang Seng Index. MTR owns and runs the Hong Kong MTR metro system, and is also a major property developer and landlord in Hong Kong...

 under a 50-year service concession, which is extendable. Ownership has continued to be held by its previous operator, the government-owned Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation. In 2006, the local KCR passenger train network (i.e. intercity services excluded) recorded an annual ridership of 544 million.

"Kowloon–Canton Railway" or "KCR" was previously a general description for the railway that ran between Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...

 in Hong Kong and the city of Canton (now Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...

) in Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

 province. Following the establishment of the People's Republic Of China in 1949, the name became more closely associated with the section of the railway that lay within the territory of Hong Kong, then more correctly described as the Kowloon–Canton Railway (British Section), and which now largely corresponds to the present-day East Rail Line. The original Canton–Kowloon Railway (Chinese Section) (the names of the origin and destination were reversed) is now called the Guangshen Railway.

History

Construction of the British Section of the Kowloon–Canton Railway began in 1906 and it was opened on 1 October 1910. The complete railway between Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...

 in Hong Kong, then a British crown colony, and the Chinese city of Canton (now Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...

) was opened on 5 October 1911. Trains were steam-hauled. From the one-line railroad, the KCR network was expanded to three railway lines and a light railway system, with 32 railway stations and 68 light rail stations.

Service commenced

Opened in 1910 as a single-track system, the British Section of the original Kowloon–Canton Railway (roughly corresponding to the present-day East Rail Line). With the Chinese section opened in 1911, through-trains ran from the southern terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanized area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui...

 across the border to the southern Chinese city of Canton (now Guangzhou).

At first trains on the British Section ran northwards from a temporary terminus at Kowloon Point through the eastern New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...

 up to the border with China at Lo Wu
Lo Wu (KCR)
Lo Wu Station is the northern terminus of the East Rail Line of Hong Kong, sitting in Lo Wu within the Closed Area on Hong Kong's northern frontier. The station serves as a primary checkpoint for rail passengers between Hong Kong and mainland China and vice-versa, rather than serving a...

. The permanent southern terminus, Kowloon Station in Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanized area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui...

, opened slightly later in 1914.

A narrow gauge railway operating works trains was used in the construction of the standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...

 British Section. The narrow gauge materials were later used to build the now-defunct Sha Tau Kok Railway
Sha Tau Kok Railway
The Sha Tau Kok Railway was a gauge narrow gauge railway running from Fanling to Sha Tau Kok in the northern New Territories of Hong Kong. The line began service on 1st April 1912. It was built with the narrow gauge tracks of the Kowloon-Canton Railway when the latter was converted to standard...

. After the Chinese civil war and the victory of the Communists in mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...

 in 1949, through-trains were no longer able to cross the border until the service was resumed in 1979.

An expanding network

The British Section of the original Kowloon–Canton Railway was originally operated by a department within the Hong Kong Government. Following the government's plan to corporatise the operation of the railway, the Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) was established in December 1982, with the government remaining as the sole shareholder.

With the development and urbanisation of the New Territories, the British Section became an important corridor to connect the new towns in eastern New Territories with urban Kowloon. Electrification and conversion to a dual-track system was completed in 1984. Since then, the suburban rail
Regional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...

 became much more metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...

-like. Frequent service was provided, and in the 1990s trains were refurbished to provide fewer seats and more standing places.

In 1984, the KCRC accepted the government's invitation to build and operate a light rail system in northwestern New Territories. The Light Rail Transit (known later as the KCR Light Rail, and now simply the Light Rail) was opened in 1988.

The KCRC won a bid in 1996 to build a "Western Corridor Railway", later branded as the KCR West Rail and opened in 2003. The British Section of the original Kowloon–Canton Railway was renamed KCR East Rail, and the LRT became KCR Light Rail. The names "Kowloon–Canton Railway" or "KCR" has become to refer to the network operated by the KCRC. The KCR Ma On Shan Rail was opened in 2004 as a branch line to the KCR East Rail.

A list of original stations of the KCR British Section:
  • Kowloon Station
  • old Hung Hum Station
  • old Yaumati Station - now site of Mong Kok Station
  • old Sha Tin Station
  • old Tai Po Market Station
    Hong Kong Railway Museum
    Hong Kong Railway Museum is a railway museum in Tai Po, Hong Kong. It is now under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Service Department. Opened in 1985, it is located at the site where the Old Tai Po Market Railway Station was built in 1913...

     - now the Hong Kong Railway Museum
    Hong Kong Railway Museum
    Hong Kong Railway Museum is a railway museum in Tai Po, Hong Kong. It is now under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Service Department. Opened in 1985, it is located at the site where the Old Tai Po Market Railway Station was built in 1913...

  • old Fanling Station
  • old Lowu Station

Takeover by MTRCL

Various proposals to merge the KCRC and the other railway operator in the territory, the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) has been on government's agenda since the 2000s. In 2006, the government, as the sole shareholder of the KCRC, decided that the two railway networks should be merged with the MTRCL being granted a service concession to operate the KCR network for an initial period of 50 years. The decision was passed by the Executive Council
Executive Council of Hong Kong
The Executive Council of Hong Kong is a core policy-making organ in the executive branch of the government of Hong Kong.. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong serves as its President.The Executive Council normally meets once a week...

 on 11 April 2006, and was later approved by the Legislative Council and the minority shareholders of the MTRCL (the government, which had a 75% stake in the MTRCL, did not vote).

It was later decided that the merging of the corporations' two rail networks would take place on 2 December 2007. Since then the KCRC has become a holding company. Under the service concession, the MTRCL pays the KCRC a fixed annual sum of HK$750 million, and from the fourth year after merger of the two networks, a sliding percentage scale share of annual revenue above HK$2.5 billion earned from the KCRC network.

As part of the merger, the KCR East Rail
KCR East Rail
The East Rail Line is one of ten railway lines of the Mass Transit Railway system in Hong Kong. It used to be one of the three lines of the Kowloon-Canton Railway network...

, KCR West Rail
KCR West Rail
The West Rail Line is one of the MTR lines in Hong Kong. It was formerly known as the KCR West Rail . It starts at Hung Hom Station in Yau Tsim Mong District and ends at Tuen Mun Station in Tuen Mun...

 and KCR Ma On Shan Rail
KCR Ma On Shan Rail
The Ma On Shan Line is a branch line of the East Rail Line in Hong Kong. Originally, the railway was operated by Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation...

 were renamed East Rail Line, West Rail Line and Ma On Shan Line. The KCR Light Rail is known simply as the Light Rail. Mong Kok Station on the East Rail was renamed Mong Kok East Station.

Express Rail Link proposal

On 2 August 2007, Chief Executive Donald Tsang
Donald Tsang
Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, GBM, KBE is the current Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of the Government of Hong Kong....

 announced that, considering the technical requirements, passenger forecast, Hong Kong's future economic development and the closer trade ties between Hong Kong and Guangdong, the new Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link will adopt the dedicated-corridor option after the 10th Plenary of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference. The Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation has submitted a detailed project proposal to the government.http://www.news.gov.hk/en/category/infrastructureandlogistics/070802/html/070802en06001.htm Because of the merger, however, it is unlikely the Rail Link will be built and operated by the KCRC.

Criticism of ontrain advertising

In the past few years the subject of invasive marketing has arisen with the advent of television screens on carriages. The first few weeks saw several hundred complaints as the volume level was turned up to maximum in order to help generate revenue from marketing. After several weeks of complaints the company eventually backed down and introduced two 'quiet cars' to the rolling stock offering a peaceful respite for passengers. Other complaints included window advertising which blocked the views outside and made some passengers travel sick. Although windows continue to be obscured making viewing of the exterior difficult and travel less comfortable for passengers, the company has responded to complaints by reducing the size of the advertisements.

Fares and tickets

Currently, there are two different fare classes on the KCR: Adult and Concessionary. Only children between the ages of 3 and 12, and senior citizens 65 years or over qualify for the concessionary rate. Unlike the MTR, the KCR does not provide a concessionary fare for students, although there is a student discount system available for students who live in Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun is a town near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in Hong Kong which can be dated back to the Neolithic period. In the more recent past, it was home to many Tanka fishermen who gathered at the Castle...

, Yuen Long
Yuen Long
Yuen Long , formerly Un Long, is an area and town located in the northwest of Hong Kong, on the Yuen Long Plain. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin, and to the north Nam Sang Wai.-Name:The Cantonese name Yuen Long 元朗...

 and Tin Shui Wai
Tin Shui Wai
Tin Shui Wai is an area of Hong Kong, located in Yuen Long District, in the northwestern part of the New Territories. Originally a gei wai fish pond area, the ponds were reclaimed for the development of Tin Shui Wai New Town in the late 1980s...

.

Fares on the East Rail, Ma On Shan Rail, West Rail and the Light Rail (Octopus fare system only) are based on the distance between the start and end points of the journey. The fare range for each line is as follows (as of 2005): and : Adult HK$3.5-$36.5, Concessionary HK$1.5-$18.0 (Discounted): Adult HK$4.5-$15.0, Concessionary HK$2.5-$7.5 (Octopus fare): Adult HK$3.7-$5.8, Concessionary HK$1.8-$2.7

The fare for first-class service on the is double that of normal fares. Fares to Lo Wu
Lo Wu (KCR)
Lo Wu Station is the northern terminus of the East Rail Line of Hong Kong, sitting in Lo Wu within the Closed Area on Hong Kong's northern frontier. The station serves as a primary checkpoint for rail passengers between Hong Kong and mainland China and vice-versa, rather than serving a...

 are substantially higher than fares to the station just before, Sheung Shui (about $11 from East TST) because of a tariff imposed on those travelling across the border to mainland China. There are quirks in the fare system, however. For example, when using an Octopus card for a trip from any station in Kowloon to Lo Wu, it is less expensive to exit the station at Fanling or Sheung Shui and re-enter the station instead of staying aboard the train the whole way to Lo Wu, as you would be charged for the majority length of the trip without the tariff to the mainland and only be charged the tariff for the relatively short distance between Fanling or Sheung Shui and Lo Wu, resulting in a $4.0 savings in either direction.

A 10% discount currently applies to fares for the .

The implements a zone-based fare system for single journey tickets. There are six zones in total, and adult fares range from HK$4.0-$5.8 while concessionary fares range from HK$2.0-2.9 .

There are two payment methods:
  • Octopus card
  • Single Journey Ticket

Octopus card

In 1998, the MTR and KCR started using the Octopus Access Control System as the main payment method for travel on its network, replacing the Common Stored Value Tickets. Octopus card
Octopus card
The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong...

s are rechargeable, contactless smart card
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...

s, thus the value of the money is digitally stored in the card, and the amount can be automatically calculated and deducted by Octopus card readers. The system was originally proposed and introduced by the MTR. It has been extended to different services such as minibuses
Public light bus
A Public light bus is a common public mode of transport in Hong Kong. It mainly serves the area that standard Hong Kong bus lines cannot reach as efficiently. It is also colloquially known as a minibus or a van, defined as a kind of share taxi....

, franchised buses, supermarkets, and fast food restaurants. It has the potential to be further developed in other fields of services. The older, traditional magnetic ticketing system is also still in use for single journeys.

Using the Octopus card to travel on the KCR is slightly cheaper than using single journey tickets. Various discount schemes on different lines, and free or discounted transfer to other modes of transport have to be done through Octopus Card.

Locomotives

Manufacturer Model Type Numbers Year
Electro-Motive Diesel Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

/Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering was the name of part of the business now known as Downer EDI Rail. Clyde Engineering were involved in the construction of railway locomotives and rolling stock, as well as larger scale engineering projects on behalf of the governments of Australia...

 Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

EMD G26
EMD G26
The G26 is a General Motors diesel-electric locomotive built in the USA by Electro-Motive Diesel for export and in Australia by Clyde Engineering under licence. The G26 was developed to increase traction capacities on the tracks which supported lesser axle loadings...

 CU diesel loco
3 diesel locomotives (1974–1977)
Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....

 (Germany)
ER20 locomotive 5 diesel locomotives 2002
Adtranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....

-SLM
SLM
SLM may refer to:* Service Lifecycle Management, a business strategy that bundles all service-based operations into a single lifecycle model* S-L-M, the tri-consonantal root of many Semitic words, such as shalom and salam...

Lok 2000 locomotive 2 electric locomotives 1997

Passenger trains

Manufacturer Model Numbers Year enter service Notes
Metro-Cammell EMU England
East Rail Line Metro Cammell EMU
East Rail Line Metro Cammell EMU is an electric multiple unit owned by and originally operated by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation , now operated by MTR after merger of both companies. Rolling stock of this model are currently serving on the East Rail Line in Hong Kong...

348 out of 351 cars (all underwent mid-life refurbishment between 1996–1999) 1983
Kinki Sharyo
Kinki Sharyo
is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...

EMU SP1900
MTR EMU SP1900
MTR EMU SP1900 is the second model of electric multiple unit rolling stock of Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation , preceded by the Metro Cammell EMU...

96 cars 2001 East Rail service
Itochu/Kinki Sharyo
Kinki Sharyo
is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...

/Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....

 consortium
EMU SP1900 154 cars (2001) 2003 West Rail service
Kinki Sharyo
Kinki Sharyo
is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...

EMU SP1950 72 cars (same model as SP1900) 2004 Ma On Shan Rail
Kinki Sharyo
Kinki Sharyo
is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...

KTT passenger coaches 12 1998 for service between Guangzhou and Kowloon)4

Light Rail

Manufacturer Model Numbers Year enter service Notes
Comeng
Comeng
The Comeng train is a type of electric train that operates on the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. They first appeared on the network in VicRail "teacup" livery in 1981 to replace the last of the then-60 year old Tait trains. More were ordered after the failed refurbishment and...

 (Australia)
LRV 70 units 1988
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....

 (Japan)
LRV (DT/MT) 30 units 1992–1993
A. Goninan (Australia)
United Goninan
UGL Rail is an Australian rail engineering company and specialises in building and re-building railway cars including electric and diesel passenger trains, electric and diesel locomotives, and freight wagons...

LRV 20 units 1997–1998
A. Goninan (Australia)
United Goninan
UGL Rail is an Australian rail engineering company and specialises in building and re-building railway cars including electric and diesel passenger trains, electric and diesel locomotives, and freight wagons...

ballast car N/A 2009-

Feeder Buses

Manufacturer/Model Numbers Year entered service Fleet number
Volvo B10M
Volvo B10M
The Volvo B10M is a popular mid-engined bus and coach chassis built by Volvo between 1978 and 2001. It was built as the successor of the B58 and was equipped with a 9.6-litre horizontally-mounted Volvo THD100/THD101/THD102/THD103/THD104/DH10A diesel engine mounted under the floor, near the middle...

 (Sweden)
15 1995 401-415
Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....

 (UK)
3 1995 501-503
Dennis Trident 3
Dennis Trident 3
Dennis Trident 3 is the first low floor double-decker bus chassis built by Dennis in the United Kingdom, with a large number purchased by bus companies in Hong Kong, Singapore, the United States and Canada.-Design:...

 (UK)
22+53(second hand) 1999–2000 601-622, 701-753
Volvo Olympian
Volvo Olympian
The Volvo Olympian was a rear-engine double decker bus built by Volvo at Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It was first built in 1992 and entered production in March 1993, replacing the Leyland Olympian....

15 1997–1998 225-239
Alexander Dennis Enviro500 (UK) 24 2008 801-824
Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart (UK) 11 2008 901-911

Updated: Dec 2009

Service Vehicles

Manufacturer Model Numbers Year enter service Notes
small crane car
flatcars
25t crane
crane with services wagon
services Wagon
Plasser and Theurer track machine
maintenance wagon
Overhead cable inspection vehicle
Plasser & Theurer. Bauart 08-275 Unimat 3S
Railbus
JMY450B diesel loco



²This steam engine was once used on the Sha Tau Kok Branch Line, but since its closing in 1924, the engine has been displayed in the Tai Po Railway Museum. It has been the only steam engine in Hong Kong for over 40 years (since the KCR last used a steam engine).



³Unit E44 (cars 144-244-444) didn't undergo refurbishment, and #144 is now kept at the Tai Po Railway Museum for display.



4All Kinki Sharyo stock are purchased and imported from Japan.

Northern Link

The Northern Link will be a rail link which connects West Rail and the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line of East Rail. The link will also serve as a connection to the boundary checkpoint into Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...

 and Guangzhou for passengers of the western part of the New Territories. The Northern Link will start at Kam Sheung Road
Kam Sheung Road (KCR)
Kam Sheung Road is a MTR station located between Pat Heung and Kam Tin in Hong Kong. It is between Tsuen Wan West and Yuen Long stations. Kam Sheung Road was the arena for the West Rail Line's opening ceremony....

 and end at Lok Ma Chau
Lok Ma Chau (KCR)
Lok Ma Chau is the northwestern terminus in Lok Ma Chau on the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, a branch line of the East Rail Line of Hong Kong's MTR network, which was built to alleviate the immigration checkpoint between Hong Kong and mainland China's Shenzhen at Lo Wu Station...

, where it will co-terminate with the East Rail Lok Ma Chau Spur Line. KCRC proposed to build a station at Chau Tau for interchange between this link and East Rail.

It is reported that the line may be built as a single-track railway to achieve cost-effectiveness. Under some of the earlier proposals, the link will serve as one of the sections of the Regional Express, a new intercity service connecting Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

Kowloon Southern Link

The KCRC has made proposals to plan, build, and operate the Kowloon Southern Link
Kowloon Southern Link (KCR)
The Kowloon Southern Link is a section of the MTR West Rail Line, linking Nam Cheong Station and East Tsim Sha Tsui Station. The rail link is fully underground, lies along the south-west coastline of Kowloon Peninsula, east of rail tracks of the Tung Chung Line and Airport Express...

 receiving permission for the project from the government on 24 September 2002.

The 4.5 km Kowloon Southern Link will connect the Nam Cheong
Nam Cheong Station
Nam Cheong is a Hong Kong MTR station located at the ground level beneath West Kowloon Highway, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon and opposite to Fu Cheong Estate. It is served by the Tung Chung Line and West Rail Line, providing cross-platform interchanges between Platform 1 and Platform 4 Nam...

 station with the East Tsim Sha Tsui
East Tsim Sha Tsui (KCR)
East Tsim Sha Tsui Station is a station in the Mass Transit Railway system of Hong Kong. It is currently an intermediate station on the West Rail Line....

 station with an intermediate stop at West Kowloon
West Kowloon (KCR)
Austin Station , formerly known as Canton Road or West Kowloon Station in its planning and construction stages, is an underground MTR railway station on the West Rail Line in Hong Kong, situated perpendicular to Wui Cheung Road and Austin Road West, and formerly Jordan Road Ferry Pier Bus...

. Upon completion, will run to Hung Hom
Hung Hom (KCR)
Hung Hom Station, formerly known as Kowloon Station is a station on the East Rail Line and West Rail Line in Hong Kong. It is located in Yau Tsim Mong District, Kowloon, next to the Cross Harbour Tunnel...

 station and will retreat its service back to Hung Hom
Hung Hom (KCR)
Hung Hom Station, formerly known as Kowloon Station is a station on the East Rail Line and West Rail Line in Hong Kong. It is located in Yau Tsim Mong District, Kowloon, next to the Cross Harbour Tunnel...

. The station will become the interchange between , and the proposed Sha Tin-to-Central Link. Journey time from Tin Shui Wai
Tin Shui Wai (KCR)
Tin Shui Wai Station is a MTR station located near Tin Shui Wai new town, Yuen Long District. It is the only heavy rail station serving the Tin Shui Wai New Town with a population of around 300,000.-Location:...

 to East Tsim Sha Tsui
East Tsim Sha Tsui (KCR)
East Tsim Sha Tsui Station is a station in the Mass Transit Railway system of Hong Kong. It is currently an intermediate station on the West Rail Line....

 will be 30 minutes.

Disputes on the funding and location of Canton Road
Canton Road
Canton Road is a road in Hong Kong, linking the former west reclamation shore in Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok on the Kowloon Peninsula. The road runs mostly parallel and west to Nathan Road. It starts from the junction with Salisbury Road in the south and ends in the north at the...

 station in Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanized area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui...

, which was in the proposed alignment, postponed the construction by a year to 2005. Construction started on 7 November 2005. The new link will start operation in 2009.

Sha Tin to Central Link

On 25 June 2002 the government announced that KCRC had won its bid to build and operate the Sha Tin to Central Link
Sha Tin to Central Link
Shatin to Central Link is a proposed railway line in Hong Kong which will run from Tai Wai Station in Tai Wai to Hung Hom. The original proposal had this line running to Central, but this will now be an extension of the East Rail Line....

. When the line is completed, the KCR network will cross Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...

 and reach Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...

 for the first time. Later the KCRC announced modification to the proposal, with the East Kowloon portion of the line joining Ma On Shan Rail at Tai Wai
Tai Wai (KCR)
Tai Wai Station is an interchange station on the East Rail Line and the Ma On Shan Line of the Mass Transit Railway system in Hong Kong. The station is located in Tai Wai, Sha Tin District....

, and the cross-harbour portion joining East Rail at Hung Hom
Hung Hom (KCR)
Hung Hom Station, formerly known as Kowloon Station is a station on the East Rail Line and West Rail Line in Hong Kong. It is located in Yau Tsim Mong District, Kowloon, next to the Cross Harbour Tunnel...

. However, the proposal has not been approved by the government yet.

On 11 April 2006, the government has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with MTRC and KCRC on merging the two railway companies.

According to the non-binding memorandum of understanding signed with the government, the current MTR lines may fully integrate the interchange stations with the Sha Tin to Central Link
Sha Tin to Central Link
Shatin to Central Link is a proposed railway line in Hong Kong which will run from Tai Wai Station in Tai Wai to Hung Hom. The original proposal had this line running to Central, but this will now be an extension of the East Rail Line....

 in order to bring more convenience to the passengers. Also, the government will conduct further studies on the proposal with the MTRC along with the Kwun Tong Line Extension. According to South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....

, construction will start in 2010.

Historic

Some of these are located at the Hong Kong Railway Museum in Tai Po, but most were scrapped when the KCR changed to modern rolling stock in the 1970s:
Manufacturer Model Numbers Service years Notes
First Class Passenger Carriage 1960s
Hand Cart
Motorized rail car
Leeds Forge Co., Ltd.
Leeds Forge Company
The Leeds Forge Company manufactured corrugated furnaces for marine boilers and later, pressed steel railway vehicles, in Leeds, England.- Early history :The company was founded by Samson Fox, who was born in Bradford in 1838...

 of Leeds, Yorkshire
First Class Dining Carriage
65 tons breakdown crane car
Hall-Scott
Hall-Scott
Hall-Scott was a Berkeley, California-based manufacturing company. It was among the most significant builders of water-cooled aircraft engines prior to World War I.-1910–1921:...

Petrol motor coaches (USA) 2 1920s renamed Taipo Belle and Canton Belle
Kitson
Kitson & Co.
Kitson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Early history:The company started as James Kitson at the Airedale Foundry, off Pearson Street, Hunslet in 1835 with Charles Todd as a partner...

4-6-4 Tank Engine 1924
Kitson
Kitson & Co.
Kitson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Early history:The company started as James Kitson at the Airedale Foundry, off Pearson Street, Hunslet in 1835 with Charles Todd as a partner...

4-6-0 Passenger Locomotive 1930
Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns
Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns
Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Ltd was a locomotive builder with works in North East England.-History:The company was formed in September 1937 when Robert Stephenson and Company, which was based in Darlington took over the locomotive building department of Hawthorn Leslie and Company, based in...

260 Tank Engine 1940s
1st Class lounge & observation cars
(British Ex-War Department) 2-8-0
WD Austerity 2-8-0
The War Department "Austerity" 2-8-0 is a type of heavy freight steam locomotive that was introduced in 1943 for war service. A total of 935 were built.- Overview :...

steam tenders 9 1946
W.G. Bagnall
W.G. Bagnall
W. G. Bagnall was a locomotive manufacturer from Stafford, England. It was founded in 1875 by William Gordon Bagnall and ceased trading in 1962 when it was taken over by English Electric Co Ltd. The company was located at the Castle Engine Works, in Castle Town, Stafford...

engines
Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering was the name of part of the business now known as Downer EDI Rail. Clyde Engineering were involved in the construction of railway locomotives and rolling stock, as well as larger scale engineering projects on behalf of the governments of Australia...

 (Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

)
EMD G12
EMD G12
The EMD G12 was a class of locomotive built by GM-EMD, and its Canadian affiliate General Motors Diesel. In addition, Australian licensee Clyde Engineering built ten locomotives for New Zealand in 1957, five for Hong Kong, 23 for Queensland, 14 for Western Australia and seven for BHP. Australian...

 diesel locomotives
5 1954–1957 52–55 sold to Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia as TL152–TL155
Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering was the name of part of the business now known as Downer EDI Rail. Clyde Engineering were involved in the construction of railway locomotives and rolling stock, as well as larger scale engineering projects on behalf of the governments of Australia...

 (Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

) Electro-Motive Diesel USA
EMD G16
EMD G16
The EMD G16 is a diesel locomotive built by General Motors in the USA and under licence by Clyde Engineering in Australia and MACOSA in Spain. It has been used in Australia, Brazil, Egyptian Railways, Hong Kong, Israel Railways, Spain, Yugoslav Railways and on the successor Croatian Railways,...

 diesel locomotives
4 1961–1966
W.G. Bagnall
W.G. Bagnall
W. G. Bagnall was a locomotive manufacturer from Stafford, England. It was founded in 1875 by William Gordon Bagnall and ceased trading in 1962 when it was taken over by English Electric Co Ltd. The company was located at the Castle Engine Works, in Castle Town, Stafford...

0-4-4T (UK) steam locomotive 2 1924
Class 1 2-6-4T steam locomotive
Class 3 2-6-4T steam locomotive
Class 9 4-6-4T steam locomotive
Class 15 4-6-0T steam locomotive
Class 21 2-8-0 steam locomotive
- third-class open-verandah coach 1911
- First-class coach 1964
Luggage compartment coach 1955
Kinki Sharyo
Kinki Sharyo
is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...

ordinary class coach 1974
Kinki Sharyo
Kinki Sharyo
is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...

third-class coach 1974
Engineering coach 1921

Facilities

  • Shatin Freight Yard
  • Hung Hom
    Hung Hom
    Hung Hom is an area of Kowloon, in Hong Kong, administratively part of the Kowloon City District, with a portion west of the railway in the Yau Tsim Mong District. Hung Hom serves mainly residential purposes though is mixed with some industrial buildings in the north.-Geography:Hung Hom is located...

     Freight Freight Terminus/Yard
  • Kowloon
    Kowloon
    Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...

     Freight Yard
  • Mongkok Freight Yard
  • Lo Wu
    Lo Wu
    Lo Wu or Lowu is an area in North District, New Territories, Hong Kong. It lies on the borders between Hong Kong and mainland China, specifically the Luohu District of Shenzhen in mainland China. The area is most notable as the location of the most heavily used immigration control point for...

     Freight and Marshalling Yard
  • Ho Man Tin
    Ho Man Tin
    Ho Man Tin is a mostly residential area in Kowloon, Hong Kong, part of the Kowloon City District.-History:The original area of Ho Man Tin was quite different from the present-day one. It was located in the heart of nowaday Mong Kok. With cultivated lands,...

     Freight Terminal
  • Sheung Shui
    Sheung Shui
    Sheung Shui is an area in New Territories, Hong Kong. Sheung Shui Town, a part of this area, is part of the Fanling-Sheung Shui New Town in the North District of Hong Kong. Fanling Town is to its southeast.-History:...

     Slaughter House
  • Pat Heung
    Pat Heung
    Pat Heung is an area in the middle of New Territories, Hong Kong. Located at the east of Kam Tin and north of Shek Kong, it is the exit to Sheung Shui and Fanling...

     Depot
  • Tai Wai
    Tai Wai
    Tai Wai is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong, located between Sha Tin New Town and the Lion Rock. It is the largest part of the Sha Tin District....

     Maintenance Centre
  • Ho Tung Lau
    Ho Tung Lau
    Ho Tung Lau is a place northeast of Lok Lo Ha in Sha Tin, near the MTR and on the former shore of Sha Tin Hoi, in the New Territories...

     Depot
  • Fo Tan
    Fo Tan
    Fo Tan is a suburb of Sha Tin District, Hong Kong. It was developed as a light industrial area, but this activity has declined markedly in recent years. There are residential areas to the east, alongside the MTR line, and in the foothills to the west....

     Goodsyard

Tunnels

The KCR line runs under two tunnels:
  • Beacon Hill Tunnel
    Beacon Hill Tunnel
    Beacon Hill Tunnel is a tunnel in Hong Kong, China on the original Kowloon-Canton Railway from Kowloon to Canton, linking Kowloon Tong to its south and Sha Tin to its north, between Kowloon Tong and Tai Wai stations. Services through the tunnel are provided by MTR.-History:A team of surveyors were...

     - East Rail Line
  • Tai Lam Tunnel - West Rail Line

See also

  • Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation
  • Hong Kong Railway Museum
    Hong Kong Railway Museum
    Hong Kong Railway Museum is a railway museum in Tai Po, Hong Kong. It is now under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Service Department. Opened in 1985, it is located at the site where the Old Tai Po Market Railway Station was built in 1913...

  • MTR
    MTR
    Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...

  • List of areas of Hong Kong
  • List of MTR stations
  • List of metro systems
  • Transport in Hong Kong
    Transport in Hong Kong
    Hong Kong has a highly developed and sophisticated transport network, encompassing both public and private transport. Over 90% of the daily journeys are on public transport, making it the highest rate in the world....


Documentaries

There is a documentary about KCR called HONGKONG TRAIN, detailing the history of KCR from its early beginnings to the 1980s.
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