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The Tung Chung Line (東涌綫) is one of the seven lines of the MTR system in Hong Kong. It links Tung Chung with Hong Kong Island. A part of the Tung Chung Line was built along with the Kap Shui Mun Bridge and the Tsing Ma Bridge. It currently travels through 8 stations in 27 minutes along its route.
The line is indicated with the colour orange.
History
In October 1989, the Hong Kong government decided to replace the over-crowded Kai Tak International Airport, located in Kowloon, with a new airport to be constructed at Chek Lap Kok. The government also invited the MTR, then called the MTRC, to build a train line to the airport called the Lantau Airport Railway. The project did not begin until the Chinese government and the British government settled financial and land disagreements in November 1994.
The Lantau Airport Railway turned into two MTR lines, the Tung Chung Line as well as the Airport Express. On 21 June 1998, the Tung Chung Line was officially opened by Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa, and service commenced the next day.
On 16 December 2003, an open house took place at the recently completed Nam Cheong Station, an interchange station between the Tung Chung Line and the KCR West Rail, for the purpose of fundraising for charity. The station closed on 19 December 2003 in preparation for the opening of West Rail, and it was officially opened to the public on 20 December 2003. At the same time, the numbers of car units per train increased from 7 to 8.
On 1 June 2005, Sunny Bay station, the interchange station for Disneyland Resort Line (DRL), opened 2 months prior to the opening of DRL.
In 2006 and 2007, four new Korean-built trains will be added in to Tung Chung Line to improve the services. The first train was received on 9 February 2006 and entered service on June 12, 2006. However, since the new trains are found few millimetres wider than the existing trains, some modification are made on the platforms. *
Route Map
Route Features
The Tung Chung Line, unlike most urban MTR lines, is mostly above ground. At the same time, most of the line runs along the Airport Express. The Tung Chung Line runs from the east to west. The line is underground from Hong Kong to Kowloon Stations, between them a harbour crossing. The line then emerges to the surface, outside Olympian City 2, and reaches Olympic Station on the surface.
After Olympic Station, the line will run at ground level beneath the West Kowloon Expressway, stopping at Nam Cheong Station. Then, the line will rise above the ground onto a viaduct, that quickly enters a tunnel in the hills near Lai King. It emerges shortly at Lai King station to provide cross-platform interchange with the Tsuen Wan Line.
The line will remain on viaduct after Lai King station, and will cross a channel to Tsing Yi Island, where it will enter Tsing Yi Station located besides Maritime Square. Having passed Tsing Yi Station, the line reenters the tunnel through the hills of Tsing Yi. It travels inside the Tsing Ma suspension bridge and the Kap Shui Mun cable stayed bridge.
Eventually, the line leaves the tunnel, and travels on the surface along the North Lantau Expressway. It stops at Sunny Bay station on the way. The line then shares tracks with the Airport Express before splitting from it just before it reaches Tung Chung New Town. Having reentered the tunnel, the line terminates at Tung Chung station, located underground.
Stations
The following is a list of all the stations on the Tung Chung Line. The coloured boxes holding the station names represent the unique colour motif for the station.
Notes
+ Ceremonial opening took place on 21 June 1998, while public opening occurred on 22 June 1998
See also
"Tung Chung Line (MTR)"