Kwun Tong Line (MTR)
The Kwun Tong Line (Chinese: 觀塘綫) is one of the seven lines of the MTR network in Hong Kong. It starts at Yau Ma Tei in Kowloon West and ends at Tiu Keng Leng in Tseung Kwan O, Sai Kung. It is indicated in green on the MTR map. During the morning rush hour, the Kwun Tong Line needs 27 trains on the tracks and keeps a 2.1-minute train interval. It currently travels through 15 stations in 27 minutes along its route.
Contents
Route map
History
The Kwun Tong Line is the first MTR line to enter service, and was a crucial part of the MTR "Modified Initial System". Its construction was approved in November 1975.
On 1 October 1979 service commenced on the Kwun Tong Line. The line ran between Shek Kip Mei station and Kwun Tong station, and each train consisted of four cars.
With extensions to the south, the line reached Tsim Sha Tsui on 31 December 1979, and a year later on 12 December 1980 it reached first Central station (named Chater by then), crossing the harbour for the first time.
The Tsuen Wan Line started service in May 1982 and took over the section of the Kwun Tong Line south of Argyle (present-day Mong Kok). Waterloo (present-day Yau Ma Tei) station became the terminus of the Kwun Tong Line and both Argyle and Prince Edward stations became interchange stations with the new line.
When the Hong Kong government decided to build a second harbour crossing in 1984 (which would be known as the Eastern Harbour Crossing), it awarded a franchise for the construction of a mixed rail and road tunnel under the harbour. The Kwun Tong Line was the rail line using that tunnel and on 6 August 1989, it was extended over the harbour again. This time the terminus was Quarry Bay, and the intermediate station, Lam Tin, was opened on 1 October of the same year.
As part of the Tseung Kwan O Line project, Kwun Tong line was briefly extended to North Point on 27 September, 2001 but soon diverted to Tiu Keng Leng when the Tseung Kwan O Line opened in August, 2002. The diversion was done in two phases: Yau Tong interchange station was opened on 4 August, 2002 such that Kwun Tong Line did not cross the harbour anymore. Two weeks later (18 August, 2002) the Kwun Tong Line was extended to Tiu Keng Leng when the rest of the Tseung Kwan O Line commenced service.
Future extension
The MTRC is proposing another extension of the Kwun Tong Line, from Yau Ma Tei to Whampoa (i.e. Whampoa Garden in Hung Hom). There is a rumour that this line would cross the harbour for the third time after this extension, with Fortress Hill being the new terminus.
Route Features
Kwun Tong Line is mostly underground, and runs from the west to east. It begins at Yau Ma Tei station, and runs underneath Nathan Road along the route of the Tsuen Wan Line up to Prince Edward. The line then moves east, and splits from the Tsuen Wan Line. The line then emerges after Choi Hung station, and runs on a viaduct above Kwun Tong Road between Kowloon Bay and Lam Tin Stations.
After Lam Tin station, the line travels through a tunnel in a hill and emerges above ground level at Yau Tong Station. (Although the line is completely covered at this point). The line also converges with the Tseung Kwan O Line. The Kwun Tong Line will then travel through another tunnel beneath the Tsueng Kwan O cemetery before terminating at Tiu Keng Leng, located in Tseung Kwan O.
Stations
This is a list of all the stations on the Kwun Tong Line. The coloured boxes holding the station names represent the unique colour motif for the station.
| Livery and Name | District | Connection(s) | Date opened | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kwun Tong Line . | ||||
| Whampoa* | Kowloon City | |||
| Ho Man Tin* | ||||
| Yau Ma Tei Formerly Waterloo |
Yau Tsim Mong | Tsuen Wan Line1 | December 31, 1979 | |
| Mong Kok Formerly Argyle |
Tsuen Wan Line Mong Kok Station for KCR East Rail 2 | |||
| Prince Edward | Tsuen Wan Line | May 10, 1982 | ||
| Shek Kip Mei | Sham Shui Po | October 1, 1979 | ||
| Kowloon Tong | Kowloon City | KCR East Rail | ||
| Lok Fu | Wong Tai Sin | |||
| Wong Tai Sin | ||||
| Diamond Hill | ||||
| Choi Hung | ||||
| Kwun Tong | ||||
| Kowloon Bay | ||||
| Ngau Tau Kok | ||||
| Kwun Tong | ||||
| Lam Tin | October 1, 1989 | |||
| Yau Tong | Tseung Kwan O Line | August 4, 2002 | ||
| Tiu Keng Leng | Sai Kung | August 18, 2002 | ||
Notes
* Proposed
1 Yau Ma Tei Station is presented as an interchange graphically, while public announcements in trains have never recommended passengers to change trains there. One probable reason is that Yau Ma Tei is the terminus of the Kwun Tong Line, and cross-platform interchange is not available as Mong Kok and Prince Edward stations are built with.
2 Mong Kok Station is not a transfer station to the Mong Kok Station of the KCR East Rail, but the two stations are connected with a footbridge that takes 10-15 minutes.
See also
External link
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