Ma On Shan line

Ma On Shan line
馬鞍山綫
Kinki Sharyo SP1950 EMU running on viaduct near the eastern terminus of the line
Overview
Type Rapid transit
System MTR
Locale Districts: Sha Tin
Termini Wu Kai Sha
Tai Wai
Stations 9
Ridership 153,100 weekday average
(Sept to Oct 2014)[1]
Operation
Opened 21 December 2004
Depot(s) Tai Wai
Rolling stock

SP1900/1950 EMU

East West line C-train
Technical
Line length 11.4 km (7.1 mi)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification 25 kV 50 Hz AC
Route map
 Wu Kai Sha
 Ma On Shan
 Heng On
 Tai Shui Hang
Nui Po Dong Hang
Shing Mun River
 Shek Mun
Siu Lek Yuen Nullah
 City One
 Sha Tin Wai
 Che Kung Temple
Up arrow
East Rail line
to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau
 Tai Wai     
Tai Wai Depot
Down arrow
East Rail line
to Hung Hom
Sha Tin to Central Link
to Tuen Mun
Down arrow
Ma On Shan line
Traditional Chinese 馬鞍山綫
Simplified Chinese 马鞍山线

The Ma On Shan line (Chinese: 馬鞍山綫) is a branch line of the MTR East Rail line in Hong Kong. It is coloured brown on the MTR map. Before 2 December 2007, the railway was operated by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) as Ma On Shan Rail (Chinese: 馬鞍山鐵路, abbreviated as 馬鐵). Since the KCRC's merger of operations with the MTR Corporation, the line has been one of the ten lines of the MTR.

Overview

KCRC estimated the construction cost of Ma On Shan Rail would be HK$10 billion.[2] The line starts at Tai Wai station in Tai Wai, Shatin and ends at Wu Kai Sha station, Wu Kai Sha, totalling 11.4 km or 16 minutes of journey time. It has nine stations, with a maintenance depot at Tai Wai. Construction began on 12 February 2001[3] and the line opened on 21 December 2004,[4] 3 days earlier than the proposed opening date.[5] From its opening as part of the KCR system, the interchange with the East Rail at Tai Wai has not had ticket gates between the Ma On Shan Rail and East Rail platforms, unlike at the former KCR system's interchanges with the MTR system. A trip from either line to the other counted as one ride.

Most of the line, including stations, was built on a viaduct on land which had been reserved for the purpose of a railway from the outset of the development of Ma On Shan New Town.[6]

In June 2016, using the ubiquitous Octopus stored-value card, the fare for a trip on the line ranged from HK$3.7 to HK$5.3 depending on the distance travelled. The fare from Ma On Shan to East Rail line stations in Kowloon ranged from HK$5.3 to HK$10.2.[7]

Over a thousand passengers went to Tai Wai to take the first train on the first day of service. However, just an hour after service commenced, one train suffered minor door defects, causing a three-minute delay. After the opening of the Ma On Shan line, the usage of buses and taxis in the area decreased by as much as 50%. It was reported that some bus routes operated by KMB saw a decrease of ridership by one-third just a few days after the railway opened.

Driving directionality

Road and rail traffic in Hong Kong move on the left, but Ma On Shan line is an exception. This line is aligned to the east of East Rail line, and the two southbound tracks are immediately next to each other at their connection in Tai Wai, such that cross-platform interchange could be provided there. This design is to speed up passenger interchange to the East Rail line to Kowloon during the morning commute. Therefore, the Ma On Shan line moves on the right.

Rolling stock

Although the Ma On Shan line is, in the Hong Kong context, classified as a "medium-capacity system", it is capable of passenger volumes up to 32,000 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD),[8] which is comparable to the passenger capacity of a full rapid transit or "metro" system.[9] Furthermore, the line is built to the standard of a full capacity system, as it will be extended by Sha Tin to Central Link to the city of Kowloon.

KCRC initially ordered 18 sets of Kinki Sharyo SP1950 trains, built by Kinki Sharyo, which have run in a four-car configuration since the line commenced service. The train is the same model as the one used on the high capacity East Rail line and West Rail line, which runs on those lines with twelve-car and seven-car/eight-car configurations respectively. In March 2017, two 8-car sets of the East West line train, manufactured by CRRC Changchun, entered service on the line. Both of models have a maximum running speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) respectively, but trains only reach a maximum service speed of 100 km/h (62 mph), when travelling between Shek Mun and Tai Shui Hang stations on at-grade track between the carriageways of Tate's Cairn Highway, and 80 km/h (50 mph) between other stations. Trains on the line are serviced at Tai Wai depot.

Two sets of 8-car trains were introduced on 15 January 2017 as part of works for the Sha Tin to Central Link.[10] Passengers have to pay attention to the platform LCD screens and announcements to queue at the right part of the platforms.[11]

The first two of 17 new trains, ordered by MTR, made by CRRC Changchun, entered service in March 2017. These new trains have gradually replaced the old 4-car trains in 2017, and the line is run fully by 8-car trains since December 2017.

Stations

The following is a list of the stations on the Ma On Shan line.

Livery and name District Connections Opening date
Ma On Shan line
Wu Kai Sha Sha Tin 21 December 2004
Ma On Shan
Heng On
Tai Shui Hang
Shek Mun
City One
Sha Tin Wai
Che Kung Temple
Tai Wai      East Rail line

Future development

Since the early planning stages of the Ma On Shan line, the system has been designed to be capable of joining with the West Rail line. According to the latest modified proposal of the Sha Tin to Central Link, the Ma On Shan line will be extended from Tai Wai station to Hung Hom station via East Kowloon. The extension will connect to the West Rail line at Hung Hom and continue on to the northwest New Territories. Eight-car trains will run on the conjoined line (known as Tuen Ma line), and so the platforms of the Ma On Shan line were lengthened from 2014 to 2016.[11] Eight-car trains began running on the line on 15 January 2017.[10] Automatic platform gates were retrofitted on all stations on the line from 2014 to 2017.[12]

See Also

References

  1. ↑ "Weekday patronage of MTR heavy rail network from September 1 to 27 and September 28 to October 25, 2014" (PDF). Legislative Council. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "二零零四年度第七次會議紀錄初稿 (lit. 2004 7th Conference Record (sketch))" (in Chinese). District Council of Sha Tin, Hong Kong. 25 November 2004. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
  3. ↑ "Construction of Ma On Shan Rail commences". Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation. 12 February 2001. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
  4. ↑ "The Financial Secretary inaugurates MOS Rail today". Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation. 21 December 2004. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
  5. ↑ "Ma On Shan Rail Charity Ride received overwhelming response". Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation. 19 December 2004. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
  6. ↑ "Land set aside for light rail system". South China Morning Post. 17 May 1986.
  7. ↑ "Octopus Fare Chart" (PDF). MTR Corporation. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  8. ↑ "MTR train frequencies of railway lines in different periods, number of cars on each train, train carrying capacity, train loading rates and number of seats" (pdf). MTR. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
  9. ↑ Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Transport Committee, ed. (2005). Integrated Transport: The Future of Light Rail and Modern Trams in the United Kingdom. The Stationery Office. p. 216. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  10. 1 2 MTR Corporation (14 January 2017). "MTR - 【馬鞍山綫月台換新衫】過新年又點少得買返一兩件新衫呢? 馬鞍山綫月台都即將換新衫喇!... | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Facebook. Archived from the original on 15 January 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  11. 1 2 "Ma On Shan Line: 4-car trains modified to 8-car trains". mtr.com.hk. MTR Corporation. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  12. ↑ "First Pair of Automatic Platform Gates Installed on Ma On Shan Line" (PDF). Press releases. MTR Corporation. 21 November 2014.
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