Kowloon Southern Link

Kowloon Southern link
九龍南綫
Exterior view of Austin station
Overview
Type Heavy rail
System MTR
Locale Districts: Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po
Termini East Tsim Sha Tsui
Nam Cheong
Stations 3
Technical
Line length 3.8 km
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification 25kV AC, 50 Hz
Route map

 Colour legend
Kowloon Southern Link
East Rail Line
to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau
Up arrow
Hung Hom     
(Through Train)
East Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsuen Wan Line
Left arrow Tsuen Wan – Central Right arrow
Tsim Sha Tsui      (osi)
Austin
(China Railway High-speed West Kowloon)
Tung Chung Line
to Hong Kong
Up arrow
Nam Cheong     
Tung Chung Line
to Tung Chung
Down arrow
West Rail Line
to Tuen Mun
Down arrow
Map of the Kowloon Southern Link (West Rail Line is in purple)

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. Kowloon Southern Link has one underground intermediate station called Austin station (formerly West Kowloon station). It is located adjacent to the Canton Road Government Offices,[1] close to Kowloon station of Tung Chung line and Airport Express. However, the structures do not provide a direct transfer between the two stations.

History

The project was originally proposed and carried out by Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) to link the KCR West Rail that terminated at Nam Cheong Station to the KCR East Rail at Hung Hom Station. The tracks between Hung Hom and East Tsim Sha Tsui Station had opened in 2004, to alleviate surface traffic jams and congestion at Kowloon Tong Station caused by passengers transferring between the KCR East Rail and the MTR.

The initial plans included an additional intermediate station: Canton Road Station, to serve the adjacent shopping centres. The station was eventually omitted from the project due to failed negotiations between the rail operator and property developers, the outcome being officially announced on 6 December 2004.[2][3]

Construction of the Kowloon Southern Link began in late 2005 by the KCRC, after the company's network was taken over by MTR Corporation (MTRC) on 2 December 2007, the project was continued by MTRC. The link went into service on 16 August 2009.[4]

Upon the completion of the rail link, the West Rail Line assumed the tracks from the East Tsim Sha Tsui to Hung Hom portion of the East Rail Line. At the same time both the East Rail and West Rail Lines were altered to terminate at Hung Hom Station, with the platform and tracks at Hung Hom being rearranged to provide cross-platform interchange between the two lines (it will form two sets of island platforms).

Upon the opening of the extension, a new Tuen Mun-Hung Hom Monthly Pass was introduced for unlimited rides of the whole West Rail line (including the new extension). Its current price is $530.[5]

See also

References

Kowloon Southern Link construction site in June 2009
  1. ↑ Press release "Kowloon Southern Link to open in third quarter 2009", 10 July 2009
  2. ↑ Canton Road Station, Kowloon Southern Link, Legislative Council of Hong Kong
  3. ↑ Canton Road Station (CAR)
  4. ↑ "Kowloon Southern Link Opens on 16 August" (PDF) (Press release). Hong Kong: MTR Corporation. 30 July 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  5. ↑

Coordinates: 22°18′32″N 114°09′51″E / 22.3090°N 114.1643°E / 22.3090; 114.1643

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