Admiralty station (MTR)

Development and construction

The Government had given the MTR Corporation first refusal on the 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m²) site, which was subsequently sold to it in 1976 for around HK$200 million for cash and equity consideration.^[2]

The Admiralty Centre, United Centre and Queensway Plaza formed part of development, and sit directly above the station.

On 12 February 1980, the segment of the first MTR line between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui was opened. At the time, Admiralty Station and Central Station were the only two MTR stations on Hong Kong Island.^[3] The platforms began serving the Tsuen Wan Line on 10 May 1982.

Admiralty was always expected to be a transfer station to the Island Line. On 31 May 1985, the first phase of the Island Line (between Admiralty and Chai Wan) was opened, with Admiralty the temporary western terminus of the Island Line. To facilitate cross-platform interchange, the Tsuen Wan- and Chai Wan-bound platforms were located on a very wide island platform on the lower level, while the Central-bound and termination platforms shared another very wide island platform on the upper level. When the second part of the Island Line (Admiralty to Sheung Wan) opened in 1986, the termination platform became the Sheung Wan-bound platform, while the other platforms remained unchanged.^[4]

2004 arson attack

The platforms are wide enough for a very large number of passengers to change trains at the same time

Platform livery

At 9:14 a.m. on 5 January 2004, 14 passengers suffered minor injuries when a delusional 55-year-old man ignited two gas cylinders full of paint thinner in the first train car of a Central-bound train from Tsim Sha Tsui.^[5] The driver decided to complete the journey and passengers were evacuated from the train in Admiralty.^[6]

Station expansion and new lines

Admiralty Station was expanded to serve two additional lines: the South Island Line on level L6 level and the North South Corridor of the Sha Tin to Central Link project on level L5.^[7]

The South Island Line platforms opened on 28 December 2016^[1] after a public open day on 24 December 2016,^[8] giving residents in the Southern District much quicker access to Hong Kong Island's central business district. The opening date was delayed from 2015 due to technical problems in the deep tunnels for the new platforms. The North South Corridor, expected to open in 2021, will allow commuters from the northeast New Territories to interchange directly from the East Rail Line.^[7][9]

A new underground interchange concourse with natural light was built to the east of the current concourse, taking up one level, allowing passengers to transfer to the new lines. The atrium was also expanded. The station expansion, located under Harcourt Garden, incorporated 34 escalators and five lifts to integrate with the existing station.^[7] The Sha Tin to Central Link will be one level under the interchange concourse, with the South Island Line being directly below it.^[7][9] Exits E1 and E2 are being rebuilt as one exit to accommodate the glass roof of the interchange concourse. This new exit E will not open until the Sha Tin to Central Link platforms open.^[7] While the Sha Tin to Central Link tracks will have sidings for terminating trains south of the station, the South Island Line tracks end at bumper blocks north of the station with no overrun track.^[9]

• 
  South Island Line Platform 5
• 
  South Island Line Platform 6
• 
  New toilets on Level 5 in paid area
• 
  Despite the commencement of South Island Line, the construction work of Sha Tin to Central Link is still undergoing behind hoardings

The narrowest part of the existing platforms on L3 level was widened to make better use of the first and second car of the Tsuen Wan Line train, as well as last two cars of Island Line trains. Tsuen Wan Line passengers in the Tsuen Wan direction now have easier access to these cars.^[10] As for station facilities, the expansion brings along toilets in the paid area, a lift between concourse, ground level and concourse, and artwork in the station.

Art Work "Sense of Green" located between Level L5 and L6

The new station has two artworks.^[7] The first is Sense of Green by Tony Ip, which is a new, bamboo-covered landscaped deck over Harcourt Garden.^[7] The second, Urban Soundscape by Otto Li, is located along either side of the escalator shaft between the new and current stations. It depicts passengers' journeys through Admiralty.^[7]

Bus routes

• Bus
  • KMB, serving only cross-harbour routes on Hong Kong Island
  • First Bus
  • Citybus
  • Bus terminuses within walking distance of the station:
    • Admiralty (West) – Exit B
    • Admiralty (Tamar Street) – Exit B
    • Admiralty (Drake St) – Exit C2
    • Admiralty (East) – Exit D
    • Admiralty (Rodney St) – between Exit D