137-701: Platform screen doors ( PSDs ), also known as platform edge doors ( PEDs ), are used at some train , rapid transit and people mover stations to separate the platform from train tracks, as well as on some bus rapid transit , tram and light rail systems. Primarily used for passenger safety, they are a relatively new addition to many metro systems around the world, some having been retrofitted to established systems. They are widely used in newer Asian and European metro systems, and Latin American bus rapid transit systems. The idea for platform edge doors dates from as early as 1908, when Charles S. Shute of Boston
274-708: A third rail electric system , which is then used to power traction motors that drive the wheels. Electric traction offers a lower cost per mile of train operation but at a higher initial cost, which can only be justified on high traffic lines. Even though the cost per mile of construction is much higher, electric traction is cheaper to operate thanks to lower maintenance and purchase costs for locomotives and equipment. Compared to diesel locomotives, electric locomotives produce no direct emissions and accelerate much faster, making them better suited to passenger service, especially underground. Various other types of train propulsion have been tried, some more successful than others. In
411-612: A train driver controls the train's operation. They may also be installed on unpowered train cars known as cab or control cars , to allow for a train to operate with the locomotive at the rear. To prevent collisions or other accidents, trains are often scheduled, and almost always are under the control of train dispatchers . Historically, trains operated based on timetables ; most trains (including nearly all passenger trains), continue to operate based on fixed schedules, though freight trains may instead run on an as-needed basis, or when enough freight cars are available to justify running
548-632: A 10-line rapid transit network, serving the urbanised areas of Hong Kong Island , Kowloon , and the New Territories . The system encompasses 245.3 km (152.4 mi) of railways, as of December 2022, with 179 stations—including 99 heavy rail stations , 68 light rail stops and 1 high-speed rail terminus. Under the government's rail-led transport policy, the MTR system is a common mode of public transport in Hong Kong , with over five and
685-479: A certain gauge , or distance between rails. Most trains operate on steel tracks with steel wheels, the low friction of which makes them more efficient than other forms of transport. Trains have their roots in wagonways , which used railway tracks and were powered by horses or pulled by cables . Following the invention of the steam locomotive in the United Kingdom in 1802, trains rapidly spread around
822-463: A driver directly present. Around the world, various track gauges are in use for trains. In most cases, trains can only operate on tracks that are of the same gauge; where different gauge trains meet, it is known as a break of gauge . Standard gauge , defined as 1,435 mm (4 ft 8.5 in) between the rails, is the most common gauge worldwide, though both broad-gauge and narrow-gauge trains are also in use. Trains also need to fit within
959-516: A few holdouts in Europe and South America. China was the last country to fully dieselize, due to its abundant coal reserves; steam locomotives were used to haul mainline trains as late as 2005 in Inner Mongolia . Trains began to face strong competition from automobiles and freight trucks in the 1930s, which greatly intensified following World War II. After the war, air transport also became
1096-564: A fixed schedule and have priority over freight trains . Passenger trains can be divided into short and long distance services. Long distance passenger trains travel over hundreds or even thousands of miles between cities. The longest passenger train service in the world is Russia's Trans-Siberian Railway between Moscow and Vladivostok , a distance of 9,289 kilometers (5,772 mi). In general, long distance trains may take days to complete their journeys, and stop at dozens of stations along their routes. For many rural communities, they are
1233-537: A half million trips made on an average weekday consistently achieving a 99.9% punctuality rate on its arrivals and departures. As of 2018, the MTR has a 49.3% share of the franchised public transport market, making it the most popular transport option in Hong Kong. The integration of the Octopus smart card fare-payment technology into the MTR system in September 1997 has further enhanced the ease of commuting. During
1370-491: A locomotive) is referred to as a rake . A collection of rail vehicles may also be called a consist. A set of vehicles that are coupled together (such as the Pioneer Zephyr ) is called a trainset. The term rolling stock is used to describe any kind of railway vehicle. Trains are an evolution of wheeled wagons running on stone wagonways , the earliest of which were built by Babylon circa 2,200 BCE. Starting in
1507-598: A means of fighting traffic congestion on highways in urban areas. Bogies, also known in North America as trucks, support the wheels and axles of trains. Trucks range from just one axle to as many as four or more. Two-axle trucks are in the widest use worldwide, as they are better able to handle curves and support heavy loads than single axle trucks. Train vehicles are linked to one another by various systems of coupling. In much of Europe, India, and South America, trains primarily use buffers and chain couplers . In
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#17327718687781644-615: A mile of stopping distance. As such, emphasis is on educating motorists to yield to trains at crossings and avoid trespassing. The first trains were rope-hauled, gravity powered or pulled by horses. Steam locomotives work by burning coal, wood or oil fuel in a boiler to heat water into steam, which powers the locomotive's pistons which are in turn connected to the wheels. In the mid 20th century, most steam locomotives were replaced by diesel or electric locomotives, which were cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable. Steam locomotives are still used in heritage railways operated in many countries for
1781-577: A new kind of vertical platform screen doors, called platform curtains , are being tested on the platform 2bis of Vanves–Malakoff station (in Paris region) on the Transilien Line N commuter rail line. The experiment should end in February 2021. Transilien said that they preferred platform curtains to classical screen doors for this line because the positioning of the doors is not the same across
1918-465: A non-binding memorandum of understanding with the Hong Kong government , the owner of Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation , to merge the operation of the two railway networks in Hong Kong in spite of the strong opposition of KCRC staff. The minority shareholders of the corporation approved the proposal at an extraordinary general meeting on 9 October 2007, allowing MTRCL to take over the operation of
2055-462: A novelty in the system. All Chinese metro systems have platform screen doors installed on most of their lines. All stations built after the mid-2000s have some form of platform barrier. Guangzhou Metro Line 2 , which opened in 2002, is the first metro system in mainland China to have installed platform screen doors since its completion. The older Guangzhou Metro Line 1 also completed the installation of platform screen doors between 2006 and 2009. Only
2192-400: A significant competitor for passenger trains. Large amounts of traffic shifted to these new forms of transportation, resulting in a widespread decline in train service, both freight and passenger. A new development in the 1960s was high-speed rail , which runs on dedicated rights of way and travels at speeds of 240 kilometers per hour (150 mph) or greater. The first high-speed rail service
2329-874: A single rail, while funiculars and rack railways are uniquely designed to traverse steep slopes. Experimental trains such as high speed maglevs , which use magnetic levitation to float above a guideway, are under development in the 2020s and offer higher speeds than even the fastest conventional trains. Trains which use alternative fuels such as natural gas and hydrogen are another 21st-century development. Trains can be sorted into types based on whether they haul passengers or freight (though mixed trains which haul both exist), by their weight ( heavy rail for regular trains, light rail for lighter transit systems), by their speed, by their distance (short haul, long distance , transcontinental ), and by what form of track they use. Conventional trains operate on two rails, but several other types of track systems are also in use around
2466-559: A small proportion of the train systems in use worldwide. Almost all monorail trains use linear induction motors MTR 4,823,000 (city metro lines only, without cross border passengers) 1,586,646,000 (city metro lines only, without cross border passengers) The Mass Transit Railway ( MTR ) is a major public transport network serving Hong Kong . Operated by the MTR Corporation (MTRCL), it consists of heavy rail , light rail , and feeder bus services , centred around
2603-804: A total cost of construction (not adjusted for inflation) of HK$ 4.1 billion (US$ 526 million). The plan was modified from that in the 1970 report Hong Kong Mass Transit: Further Studies , with Kwai Chung station, Lap Sap Wan station, and a planned depot in Kwai Chung next to Lap Sap Wan station being replaced by stations in Kwai Hing and Kwai Fong and a depot in Tsuen Wan. Several stations also had names different to that during planning: So Uk station became Cheung Sha Wan , Cheung Sha Wan became Lai Chi Kok , and Lai Chi Kok became Lai Wan (later renamed Mei Foo ). When service of this line started,
2740-595: A train. Simple repairs may be done while a train is parked on the tracks, but more extensive repairs will be done at a motive power depot . Similar facilities exist for repairing damaged or defective train cars. Maintenance of way trains are used to build and repair railroad tracks and other equipment. Train drivers , also known as engineers, are responsible for operating trains. Conductors are in charge of trains and their cargo, and help passengers on passenger trains. Brakeman , also known as trainmen, were historically responsible for manually applying brakes, though
2877-789: A transfer is made between Tsim Sha Tsui and East Tsim Sha Tsui stations, where two tickets are required. Student discounts on Octopus Card were also issued. The MTR system has been extended numerous times since the railway merger. Relevant projects include the LOHAS Park spur line (2009), the Kowloon Southern Link (2009), the West Island line (2014), the Kwun Tong line extension (2016), the South Island line (2016), Tuen Ma line Phase 1 (2020) and Phase 2 (2021) and
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#17327718687783014-667: A trial run with Faiveley automatic platform gates installed on a single platform at Vuosaari metro station during phase one of the project. The doors, which are part of the Siemens metro automation project, were built in 2012. Phase 2 of the project has been delayed due to metro automation technical and safety related testings. The doors were removed in 2015. All lines of the VAL automated subway system are equipped with platform screen doors at every station, starting with Lille subways in 1983. Those also include Toulouse and Rennes as well as
3151-434: A tunnel's side wall, with "a gate having its ends guided in the guides, the ends and intermediate portions of the gate having rollers engaging the side wall". Pneumatic cylinders with pistons would be used to raise the gates above the platform when a train was in the station. Unlike Shute's invention, the entire platform gate was movable, and was to retract upward. The first stations in the world with platform screen doors were
3288-432: A variety of systems, which may include characteristics of trams, heavier passenger trains, and rapid transit systems. There are a number of specialized trains which differ from the traditional definition of a train as a set of vehicles which travels on two rails. Monorails were developed to meet medium-demand traffic in urban transit, and consist of a train running on a single rail, typically elevated. Monorails represent
3425-563: A wide variety of cargo, flatcars (also known as flat wagons ) which have flat tops to hold cargo, hopper cars which carry bulk commodities, and tank cars which carry liquids and gases. Examples of more specialized types of train cars include bottle cars which hold molten steel, Schnabel cars which handle very heavy loads, and refrigerator cars which carry perishable goods. Early train cars were small and light, much like early locomotives, but over time they have become larger as locomotives have become more powerful. A passenger train
3562-703: Is a planned extension of the Tseung Kwan O line that will interchange at the future Tamar station with the Tung Chung line. It will alleviate traffic in the northern part of Hong Kong Island. There will be three new stations: Tamar , Exhibition Centre (which will be an interchange between the North Island line and the North South Corridor), and Causeway Bay North . There is currently no proposed construction time for this line, however in
3699-675: Is available only when there are two continuous stations shared as interchange stations by two lines. Two major works were undertaken to ease interchange between the Kwun Tong line and East Rail line. The modification of Kowloon Tong station started in June 2001. A new pedestrian link to Kowloon Tong station southern concourse and a new entrance (Exit D) opened on 15 April 2004 to cope with the increase in interchange passenger flow. Modification to Tsim Sha Tsui station involved upgrading station facilities and concourse layout to facilitate access from
3836-447: Is currently rare since they are a much costlier and more complicated alternative to the aforementioned rope-type screen doors. The only difference from the latter is that they move sideways when letting passengers through. At Osaka Station, the doors are designed as a single block (equivalent to the length of a train car). It consists of five units: one wall-like "parent door" suspended from the top and two sets of glass "child doors". When
3973-532: Is currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2026, will have platform screen doors on the new Boggo Road , Woolloongabba and Albert Street underground stations, and the new underground platforms of Roma Street . Currently, only the Serfaus U-Bahn uses platform screen doors. Line U2 of the Vienna U-Bahn is being reconstructed from Schottentor station to Karlsplatz station , with
4110-770: Is entrapment between closed platform doors and the train carriage which, if undetected, can lead to fatality when the train begins to move (see § Incidents ). Cases of this happening are rare, and the risk can be minimised with careful design, in particular by interlocking the door system with the signalling system, and by minimising the gap between the closed platform doors and the train body. In some cases active monitoring systems are used to monitor this gap. Half-height platform edge doors, also known as automatic platform gates, are cheaper to install than full-height platform screen doors, which require more metallic framework for support. Some railway operators may therefore prefer such an option to improve safety at railway platforms and, at
4247-562: Is expected to be complete in 2030. The East Kowloon line is planned to serve the East Kowloon area to Tseung Kwan O New Town via the hilly Sau Mau Ping residential area. The South Island line (West) was part of the same original proposal as the South Island line, and would connect HKU to Wong Chuk Hang around the west coast of Hong Kong Island, however, construction has not started as of 2024 . The North Island line
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4384-556: Is in current planning) by the Hong Kong government. It would help to connect planned population centres isolated in the New Territories with Kowloon and Hong Kong. Construction of Kwu Tung station began in 29 September 2023, and is expected to be completed in 2027, while construction of the Northern Link is expected to begin in 2025 and is scheduled to commence service in 2034. The Tung Chung line extension will extend
4521-485: Is the second most popular means of transport to the airport after buses. In 2012, it had a 21.8 per cent of share of the traffic to and from the airport. However, this has declined from a peak of 32 per cent in 1999. The Quarry Bay Congestion Relief Works extended the Hong Kong Island end of the Kwun Tong line from Quarry Bay to North Point via a pair of 2.1-kilometre (1.3 mi) tunnels. The project
4658-428: Is used to transport people along a railroad line. These trains may consist of unpowered passenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages) hauled by one or more locomotives, or may be self-propelled; self propelled passenger trains are known as multiple units or railcars . Passenger trains travel between stations or depots , where passengers may board and disembark. In most cases, passenger trains operate on
4795-637: The CDGVAL and Orlyval airport shuttles. Paris Métro 's line 14 from Saint-Lazare to Bibliothèque François Mitterrand was inaugurated in 1998 with platform screen doors manufactured by Faiveley Transport . The new station Olympiades opened with platform screen doors in June 2007. Lines 1 and 4 have been retrofitted with platform edge doors, for full driverless automation effective in 2012 and 2023, respectively. Some stations on Line 13 have had platform edge doors since 2010 to manage their overcrowding, after tests conducted in 2006. Since 30 June 2020,
4932-672: The Dalian Metro lines 3, 12, and 13, Wuhan Metro line 1 and Changchun Metro lines 3, 4, and 8 have stations without the platform screen doors on their early lines (As of 21 September 2019). However many are starting the process of retrofitting these lines with platform screen gates. In addition, many bus rapid transit systems such as the Guangzhou Bus Rapid Transit also have stops that are equipped with platform screen doors. Platform screen doors are also present in some tram and light rail stops such as
5069-514: The East Rail line are equipped with either platform screen doors or automatic platform gates. On the East Rail line, PSDs are installed only at Admiralty , Exhibition Centre and Hung Hom stations. Automatic platform gates have also been installed at Racecourse , Lok Ma Chau , Sha Tin , Sheung Shui , Tai Po Market and Tai Wai . Installation is still in progress or are soon to begin at
5206-555: The East Rail line , phase two of the Sha Tin to Central Link (SCL) from Hung Hom station to Admiralty station across Victoria Harbour was completed and opened on 15 May 2022. An intermediate station was opened at Exhibition Centre . The Tuen Mun South extension on the Tuen Ma line is a proposed 2.4-kilometre (1.5 mi) extension to a new western terminus, Tuen Mun South, near Tuen Mun Ferry Pier . The extension will extend
5343-529: The East Rail line extension (2022). The LOHAS Park Spur Line is an extension of the Tseung Kwan O line , splitting off after Tseung Kwan O station . It serves the new residential development of LOHAS Park (formerly "Dream City"), a 3,550,000-square-foot (330,000 m ) estate with fifty residential towers. The project is divided into 9 to 13 phases and is about halfway complete as of 2016. These high rises sit above LOHAS Park station , which opened on 26 July 2009. The West Island line , first put forward to
5480-616: The East Tsim Sha Tsui station via its pedestrian links. New entrances to the subway links were opened on 19 September 2004 (Exit G) and 30 March 2005 (Exit F), with the whole scheme completed in May 2005. The Disneyland Resort line , previously known as Penny's Bay Rail Link, provides service to the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort station which was opened on 12 September 2005. Services to Sunny Bay station on
5617-766: The Epping to Chatswood railway line were upgraded to rapid transit standard, all being fitted with full-height platform edge doors. In Melbourne, the Metro Tunnel , from South Kensington to South Yarra , due to open in 2025, will have platform screen doors on the underground stations. New rolling stock is being constructed, with doors that will line up with full-height ones on the platforms. The future automated rapid transit Suburban Rail Loop rail system, which will open in 2035 will also have platform screen doors at every station. The Cross River Rail in Brisbane, which
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5754-706: The Hong Kong Mass Transport Study to the government, which recommended the construction of a 40-mile (64 km) rapid transit rail system in Hong Kong. The study suggested that four rail lines be developed in six stages, with a completion date set between December 1973 and December 1984. Detailed locations of lines and stations were presented in the study. These four lines were the Kwun Tong line (from Mong Kok to Ma Yau Tong ), Tsuen Wan line (from Admiralty to Tsuen Wan ), Island line (from Kennedy to Chai Wan Central), and Shatin line (from Tsim Sha Tsui to Wo Liu Hang ). The study
5891-690: The Hong Kong Mass Transport Study . In 1972, the Hong Kong government authorised construction of the Initial System , a 20-kilometre (12 mi) system that roughly translates to today's Kwun Tong line between Kwun Tong and Prince Edward, Tsuen Wan line between Mei Foo and Admiralty, and Island line between Sheung Wan and Admiralty. The Mass Transit Steering Committee, chaired by the Financial Secretary Philip Haddon-Cave , began negotiations with four major construction consortia in 1973. The government's intention
6028-463: The Iron Curtain ) and advances in technology to convert their trains to diesel or electric power. France, Russia, Switzerland, and Japan were leaders in adopting widespread electrified railroads, while other nations focused primarily on dieselization . By 1980, the majority of the world's steam locomotives had been retired, though they continued to be used in parts of Africa and Asia, along with
6165-701: The KCR network and combine the fare system of the two networks on 2 December 2007. On 2 December 2007 the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) granted a 50-year service concession (which may be extended) of the KCR network to MTRCL, in return for making annual payments to KCRC, thereby merging the railway operations of the two corporations under MTRCL's management. At the same time MTRCL changed its Chinese name from "地下鐵路有限公司" (Subway Limited Company) to "香港鐵路有限公司" (Hong Kong Railway Limited Company), but left its English name unchanged; at
6302-882: The Sofia Metro Line 1 and Line 2. In total, such rope-type safety barriers will be installed on more 10 of the busiest stations on the Line 1 and 2 of the Sofia Metro , providing increased safety for passengers and protecting against accidental falls. Screen doors are in use at all three LINK Train stations and the Union and Pearson stations along the Union Pearson Express route to Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario . Platform screen doors will be installed at all stations on
6439-507: The Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825. British engineer George Stephenson ran a steam locomotive named Locomotion No. 1 on this 40-kilometer (25-mile) long line, hauling over 400 passengers at up to 13 kilometers per hour (8 mph). The success of this locomotive, and Stephenson's Rocket in 1829, convinced many of the value in steam locomotives, and within a decade the stock market bubble known as " Railway Mania " started across
6576-535: The São Paulo Metro since 2010, when the Sacomã Station was opened. As of 2019, five of the six lines of the São Paulo Metro have the equipment: Lines 4 - Yellow , 5 - Lilac and 15 - Silver have the equipment installed in all of its stations. The feature is also present in some stations of Line 2 - Green and Line 3 - Red . They are planned to be installed in 41 stations of lines 1, 2 and 3 by
6713-535: The Tseung Kwan O line (called the Tseung Kwan O extension line in the planning stage) was approved on 18 August 1998 to serve the growing Tseung Kwan O New Town. Construction began on 24 April 1999 and the line officially opened in 2002. It took over the existing Kwun Tong line tracks running through the Eastern Harbour Tunnel , so that the full line stretches from Po Lam to North Point. When
6850-484: The Tung Chung line to the west by approximately 1.3 kilometres. Two new stations will also be built, namely; Tung Chung West and Tung Chung East , with Tung Chung West serving as the new terminus of the Tung Chung line. Construction began on 25 May 2023 and is expected to be completed in 2029. The Oyster Bay station is a planned infill station between Sunny Bay station and the future Tung Chung East station . It
6987-1104: The Xijiao Light rail , Nanjing tram and Chengdu tram . Several underground high speed railway stations of the CRH network use platform screen doors set back from the platform edge. In addition, Fengxian District in Shanghai installed platform gates at a road crossing. Several stations on Bogota's TransMilenio bus rapid transit system use platform screen doors. The Ayacucho Tram in Medellin also has half-height platform doors at every station. The Copenhagen Metro uses Westinghouse and Faiveley platform screen doors on all platforms. Full-height doors are used on underground stations while surface level stations have half-height doors (except from Lufthavnen and Orientkaj ). Underground stations have had platform doors since opening, while above ground stations on lines 1 and 2 did not initially, and were installed later. The Helsinki Metro had
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#17327718687787124-640: The loading gauge profile to avoid fouling bridges and lineside infrastructure with this being a potential limiting factor on loads such as intermodal container types that may be carried. Train accidents sometimes occur, including derailments (when a train leaves the tracks) and train wrecks (collisions between trains). Accidents were more common in the early days of trains, when railway signal systems, centralized traffic control , and failsafe systems to prevent collisions were primitive or did not yet exist. To prevent accidents, systems such as automatic train stop are used; these are failsafe systems that apply
7261-541: The rolling stock , and that they plan to install them in other Transilien stations if the experiment is successful. Paris is now getting a new urban revolution : The Grand Paris Express . As of it, every new stations are getting brand new full platform screen doors, and it begins with the Line 14 extension inaugurated in 2024, from Saint-Denis pleyel to Orly Airport. People movers at Frankfurt International Airport , Munich International Airport and Düsseldorf Airport are equipped with platform screen doors, as well as
7398-405: The 1500s, wagonways were introduced to haul material from mines; from the 1790s, stronger iron rails were introduced. Following early developments in the second half of the 1700s, in 1804 a steam locomotive built by British inventor Richard Trevithick powered the first ever steam train. Outside of coal mines, where fuel was readily available, steam locomotives remained untried until the opening of
7535-418: The 1960s, the government of Hong Kong saw a need to accommodate increasing road traffic as Hong Kong's economy grew rapidly. In 1966, British transport consultants Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith & Associates were appointed to study the transport system of Hong Kong. The study was based on the projection of the population of Hong Kong for 1986, estimated at 6,868,000. On 1 September 1967, the consultants submitted
7672-502: The 1970s as an alternative to congested highways and a means to promote development , as has light rail in the 21st century. Freight trains remain important for the transport of bulk commodities such as coal and grain, as well as being a means of reducing road traffic congestion by freight trucks. While conventional trains operate on relatively flat tracks with two rails, a number of specialized trains exist which are significantly different in their mode of operation. Monorails operate on
7809-523: The East Rail Line which used platform screen doors manufactured by Fangda Group. The opening of the Sunny Bay and Disneyland Resort stations in 2005 also meant the first platform-edge doors entering operation for the MTR network. These doors are currently the lowest in the entire network of being at around 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) high, compared to 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) on
7946-664: The Island line, Tsuen Wan line, and Kwun Tong line should be constructed for the initial system. The other lines would be placed in the list of extensions. This report led to the final study in 1970. In 1970, a revised system with four lines was laid out in the British consultants' new report, Hong Kong Mass Transit: Further Studies . The four lines were to be the Kwun Tong line, Tsuen Wan line, Island line, and East Kowloon line . The lines that were eventually constructed were somewhat different compared to those presented in this report and
8083-413: The Kwun Tong line. This forecast proved to be accurate, necessitating a bypass from the northwestern New Territories to Hong Kong Island . The Tung Chung line was therefore launched in 1998 with an interchange station at Lai King for that purpose. Although land acquisitions were made for a station at Tsuen Wan West (near Tsuen King Circuit ), beyond Tsuen Wan station, as part of the Tsuen Wan branch,
8220-622: The Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan, Island and Tung Chung lines and 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) on the Tuen Ma and South Island lines . Train A train (from Old French trahiner , from Latin trahere , "to pull, to draw" ) is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight . Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often known simply as "engines"), though some are self-propelled, such as multiple units or railcars . Passengers and cargo are carried in railroad cars , also known as wagons or carriages. Trains are designed to
8357-905: The Legislative Council passed legislation setting up the government-owned Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) to replace the Mass Transport Provisional Authority, the Mass Transit Railway Ordinance . Construction of the system began on 11 November 1975. The northern section was completed on 30 September 1979 and was opened on 1 October 1979 by Governor Murray MacLehose . Trains on this route ran from Shek Kip Mei to Kwun Tong in Phase 1, Tsim Sha Tsui to Kwun Tong in Phase 2 in December 1979, and Chater to Kwun Tong in
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#17327718687788494-556: The MTR. The first section of the Tuen Ma line , an extension of the former Ma On Shan line connecting Tai Wai via Hin Keng and Diamond Hill to Kai Tak station , opened on 14 February 2020. The second and final section of the line was completed and opened on 27 June 2021, linking the previously opened Tuen Ma Line Phase One and the West Rail Line together connecting from Kai Tak station to Hung Hom station . An extension of
8631-670: The MTRC to build a train line, then known as the Lantau Airport Railway, to the airport. Construction started in November 1994, after the Chinese and British governments settled their financial and land disagreements. The new line was included in the financing plans of the new Hong Kong International Airport as the airport was not considered viable without direct public transport links. Construction costs were also shared by
8768-479: The MTRC, which was granted many large-scale developments in the construction plans for the new stations. The Lantau Airport Railway included two MTR lines, the Tung Chung line and the Airport Express. The Tung Chung line was officially opened on 21 June 1998 by Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa , and service commenced the next day. The Airport Express opened for service on 6 July 1998 along with
8905-587: The Mass Transit Steering Group was replaced by the Mass Transport Provisional Authority, which held more executive powers. It announced that the Initial System would be reduced to 15.6 kilometres (9.7 mi) and renamed the "Modified Initial System" (now part of the Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan lines). Plans for a single contract were abandoned in favour of 25 engineering contracts and 10 electrical and mechanical contracts. On 7 May 1975
9042-652: The Montreal Metro, with the older MR-73 trains having 4 doors on each side of the car, and MPM-10 having 3, it is unlikely platform doors will be showing up in the Montreal Metro until the retirement of the MR-73 fleet. In June 2023, the operator of the Vancouver SkyTrain , TransLink announced a feasibility study into installing platform screen doors on the Expo and Millennium lines. Such installation
9179-460: The Tseung Kwan O line, are two stations long, allowing cross-platform interchange wherein a passenger leaves a train on one side of the platform and boards trains on the other side of the platform for another line. For example, when passengers are travelling on the Kwun Tong line towards Tiu Keng Leng , getting off at Yau Tong would allow them to switch trains across the platform for the Tseung Kwan O line towards North Point . Whereas, staying on
9316-518: The Tsuen Wan line. Furthermore, each train was extended to eight cars. On 23 May 1986, the Island line was extended to Sheung Wan station . Construction was delayed for one year, as government offices which were located over the station had to be moved before the construction could start. In 1984, the government approved the construction of the Eastern Harbour Crossing , a tunnel to be used by cars and MTR trains. The Kwun Tong line
9453-480: The Tung Chung line started in 1 June 2005, but it was only opened to staff of Disneyland at first. It was finally opened to the general public two months later, on 8 August 2005. The new line and the Disneyland Resort station opened on 1 August 2005. It is a 3.5-kilometre (2.2 mi) single-track railway that runs between Sunny Bay station and Disneyland Resort station. The Disneyland Resort station itself
9590-482: The United Kingdom. News of the success of steam locomotives quickly reached the United States, where the first steam railroad opened in 1829. American railroad pioneers soon started manufacturing their own locomotives, designed to handle the sharper curves and rougher track typical of the country's railroads. The other nations of Europe also took note of British railroad developments, and most countries on
9727-790: The United States, the Gatimaan Express in India, and the KTM ETS in Malaysia. A number of types of trains are used to provide rapid transit to urban areas. These are distinct from traditional passenger trains in that they operate more frequently, typically do not share tracks with freight trains, and cover relatively short distances. Many different kinds of systems are in use globally. Rapid transit trains that operate in tunnels below ground are known as subways, undergrounds, or metros. Elevated railways operate on viaducts or bridges above
9864-458: The addition of platform screen doors to the reconstructed stations by 2023–2024. The Dhaka Metro Rail uses half-height platform screen doors at all of its elevated stations. Platform screen doors are being installed on Line 3 of the Minsk Metro , which first opened in late 2020, and will be installed at stations on the later sections of the line. The Platform Screen Doors are present in
10001-515: The advent of the REM on the horizon, calls to retrofit platform edge doors in the Montreal Metro to combat delays arising from overcrowding are becoming more common. If full-height doors were to be installed, it may reduce the difficulty in opening station entrance doors at ground level due to the pressure imbalance caused by passing trains. Given that there are two different train door layouts on
10138-582: The beginning of the Hong Kong government's initiative to reduce its interests in public utilities. Prior to its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange , the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) was wholly owned by the Hong Kong government. The offering involved the sale of about one billion shares , and the company now has the largest shareholder base of any company listed in Hong Kong. In June 2001, MTRCL
10275-578: The benefits of trains for transport led to a revival in their use and importance. Freight trains are significantly more efficient than trucks, while also emitting far fewer greenhouse gas emissions per ton-mile; passenger trains are also far more energy efficient than other modes of transport. According to the International Energy Agency , "On average, rail requires 12 times less energy and emits 7–11 times less GHGs per passenger-km travelled than private vehicles and airplanes, making it
10412-518: The brakes on a train if it passes a red signal and enters an occupied block , or if any of the train's equipment malfunctions. More advanced safety systems, such as positive train control , can also automatically regulate train speed, preventing derailments from entering curves or switches too fast. Modern trains have a very good safety record overall, comparable with air travel. In the United States between 2000 and 2009, train travel averaged 0.43 deaths per billion passenger miles traveled. While this
10549-694: The cars and apply the brakes when the train went downhill. Hand brakes are still used to park cars and locomotives, but the predominant braking system for trains globally is air brakes, invented in 1869 by George Westinghouse . Air brakes are applied at once to the entire train using air hoses. For safety and communication, trains are equipped with bells , horns , and lights . Steam locomotives typically use steam whistles rather than horns. Other types of lights may be installed on locomotives and cars, such as classification lights , Mars Lights , and ditch lights . Locomotives are in most cases equipped with cabs, also known as driving compartments, where
10686-473: The closure of many rapid transit and tram systems during this time as well. Since the 1970s, governments, environmentalists , and train advocates have promoted increased use of trains due to their greater fuel efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to other modes of land transport. High-speed rail , first built in the 1960s, has proven competitive with cars and planes over short to medium distances. Commuter rail has grown in importance since
10823-465: The continent constructed and opened their first railroads in the 1830s and 1840s, following the first run of a steam train in France in late 1829. In the 1850s, trains continued to expand across Europe, with many influenced by or purchases of American locomotive designs. Other European countries pursued their own distinct designs. Around the world, steam locomotives grew larger and more powerful throughout
10960-583: The cost of installation and to deal with the problem of different train types and distance between the doors. The first-ever full-height variable-type platform screen doors have only been recently installed at the underground platforms of Osaka Station , which opened in March 2023, but a few half-height variants can be found on a set installed at the Shinkansen platforms of Shinagawa Station in Tokyo . Its use
11097-552: The deep-level tunnels between stations, while the station vaults are dug out manually and contain both the tracks and the platform. However, in the case of the Saint Petersburg Metro, the TBMs bored a pair of continuous tunnels that passed through ten stations, and the stations themselves were built in vaults that only contained the platform, with small openings on the sides of the vault, in order for passengers to access
11234-563: The development of the Hung Shui Kiu New Town . The Northern Link is a proposed new line which connects Tuen Ma line with the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line of East Rail line. It also has Au Tau , Ngau Tam Mei , San Tin , a future interchange station between East Rail line and Northern Link, Kwu Tung , which will become a terminus for Northern link. This line would serve the future Northern Metropolis (which
11371-613: The end of 2021, as well as all stations of line 5 by the end of 2020. PSDs are also found on the tube stations of the RIT BRT and in the Santos Light Rail since 2016. Half-height platform screen doors are in use on all stations of the Sofia Metro Line 3. In 2020, rope-type screen door (RSD) system was installed in Vasil Levski Stadium Metro Station and Opalchenska Metro Station of
11508-510: The exhibition centre. To cope with the projected increase in patronage, Airport Express trains were lengthened to eight cars from the previous seven. Additional trains are also deployed on the Tung Chung line during major exhibitions and events. On 5 October 2000 the operator of the MTR network, the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC), became Hong Kong's first rail company to be partially privatised , marking
11645-465: The first decade of the 1900s. Experimentation with diesel and gas power continued, culminating in the German " Flying Hamburger " in 1933, and the influential American EMD FT in 1939. These successful diesel locomotives showed that diesel power was superior to steam, due to lower costs, ease of maintenance, and better reliability. Meanwhile, Italy developed an extensive network of electric trains during
11782-487: The first decades of the 20th century, driven by that country's lack of significant coal reserves. World War II brought great destruction to existing railroads across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Following the war's conclusion in 1945, nations which had suffered extensive damage to their railroad networks took the opportunity provided by Marshall Plan funds (or economic assistance from the USSR and Comecon , for nations behind
11919-458: The first station to receive platform screen doors from this programme in August 2001. The Mass Transit Railway became the first metro system in the world to retrofit PSDs on a transit system already in operation. The program was completed in March 2006. All subsequent new stations or platforms installed with PSDs also used those manufactured by Gilgen Door Systems, until the cross-harbour extension of
12056-731: The first train powered by electricity in 1879, and went on to pioneer electric trams . Another German inventor, Rudolf Diesel , constructed the first diesel engine in the 1890s, though the potential of his invention to power trains was not realized until decades later. Between 1897 and 1903, tests of experimental electric locomotives on the Royal Prussian Military Railway in Germany demonstrated they were viable, setting speed records in excess of 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph). Early gas powered " doodlebug " self-propelled railcars entered service on railroads in
12193-470: The forthcoming Ontario Line . In addition, as a part of major renovations and expansions to the Bloor-Yonge interchange, platform screen doors will be installed on both Line 1 platforms. The doors will also be installed on the Line 2 platforms once CBTC signalling upgrades are made to the line. The addition of such doors at Bloor-Yonge has prompted rumours of a broader system wide rollout, including in
12330-595: The forthcoming Scarborough Subway Extension and Yonge North Subway Extension , though no confirmation or funding has been announced by the Toronto Transit Commission or the Government of Ontario . Greater Montreal's forthcoming Réseau express métropolitain (REM), the 67-kilometre-long driverless complementary suburban rapid transit network opening in five phases between 2023 and 2027 will feature screen doors at each of its 26 stations. With
12467-536: The government on 21 January 2003, is an extension of the Island line . It serves the Western District of Hong Kong Island. The construction of the West Island line started on 10 August 2009. Kennedy Town station and HKU station opened on 28 December 2014. Sai Ying Pun station opened later, on 29 March 2015, due to construction delays. A proposal to extend the existing Kwun Tong line to Whampoa Garden
12604-410: The ground, often on top of city streets. "Metro" may also refer to rapid transit that operates at ground level. In many systems, two or even all three of these types may exist on different portions of a network. Trams, also known in North America as streetcars, typically operate on or parallel to streets in cities, with frequent stops and a high frequency of service. Light rail is a catchall term for
12741-631: The inaugural train through the immersed tube beneath Victoria Harbour to Central station . Trains were gradually extended to six cars to accommodate an increase in passenger numbers. The government approved construction of the Tsuen Wan line in 1977, then known as the Tsuen Wan Extension, and works commenced in November 1978. The project added a 10.5-kilometre (6.5 mi) section to the MTR system, from Prince Edward station to Tsuen Wan . The line started service on 17 May 1982 with
12878-455: The kind of rolling stock that may be used on a line, as the train doors must fit the spacing of the platform doors; which can result in additional costs due to depot upgrades and otherwise unnecessary purchases of rolling stock. Despite delivering an overwhelming improvement to passenger safety at the platform-train interface, platform screen doors do introduce new hazards which must be carefully managed in design and delivery. The principal hazard
13015-512: The last phase , initially in a four-car configuration. The first train drivers were trained on the London Underground . It was designed by a consortium of consultants led by Freeman Fox and Partners . On later extensions to the railway the stations were designed under the supervision of Roland Paoletti , the chief architect at MTR. The full Modified Initial System was opened on 12 February 1980 by Princess Alexandra , who rode
13152-480: The leisure and enthusiast market. Diesel locomotives are powered with a diesel engine, which generates electricity to drive traction motors. This is known as a diesel–electric transmission , and is used on most larger diesels. Diesel power replaced steam for a variety of reasons: diesel locomotives were less complex, far more reliable, cheaper, cleaner, easier to maintain, and more fuel efficient. Electric trains receive their current via overhead lines or through
13289-486: The line opened, the Kwun Tong line was extended to Tiu Keng Leng on the new line. Construction costs were partly covered by the Hong Kong Government and private developers which linked construction of the Tseung Kwan O line to new real estate and commercial developments. The interchange between the Kwun Tong line and the Tsuen Wan line (except Yau Ma Tei ) as well as that between the Kwun Tong line and
13426-575: The line southwards from the current terminus at Tuen Mun station . It will include the construction of the A16 station (placeholder name used by MTR) and the new terminus Tuen Mun South station . Additionally, the addition of a new infill station , Hung Shui Kiu station , along the Tuen Ma line between Siu Hong station and Tin Shui Wai station is currently under planning. It may be built depending on
13563-715: The mid 1900s, gas turbine locomotives were developed and successfully used, though most were retired due to high fuel costs and poor reliability. In the 21st century, alternative fuels for locomotives are under development, due to increasing costs for diesel and a desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from trains. Examples include hydrail (trains powered by hydrogen fuel cells) and the use of compressed or liquefied natural gas . Train cars, also known as wagons, are unpowered rail vehicles which are typically pulled by locomotives. Many different types exist, specialized to handle various types of cargo. Some common types include boxcars (also known as covered goods wagons ) that carry
13700-502: The most efficient mode of motorised passenger transport. Aside from shipping, freight rail is the most energy-efficient and least carbon-intensive way to transport goods." As such, rail transport is considered an important part of achieving sustainable energy . Intermodal freight trains, carrying double-stack shipping containers , have since the 1970s generated significant business for railroads and gained market share from trucks. Increased use of commuter rail has also been promoted as
13837-402: The new Hong Kong International Airport. The Airport Express also offers flight check-in facilities at Kowloon station and Hong Kong station —the in-town check-ins offer a more convenient and time-saving routine; a free shuttle bus service transports travellers from these stations to their respective hotels as well. Porters are also available to help transport luggage from and onto trains. It
13974-401: The older stations to reduce suicides on the MTR and reduce air-conditioning costs. Platforms 2 and 3 of Choi Hung were chosen for the trial due to them being redundant platforms and receiving low numbers of passengers. Platform screen doors of two and a half cars' length were installed on each of the two platforms during the trial in 1996. As the Kwun Tong line trains consisted of eight cars, it
14111-407: The ones installed on the Disneyland Resort line. There are also rope-type platform screen doors, where multiple train types with different length and train door structures use the same platforms. The barriers move upwards, rather than sideways, when letting passengers through. Some Japanese, Korean, Chinese and eastern European countries have railway stations that use rope-type screen doors to lower
14248-533: The only form of public transportation available. Short distance or regional passenger trains have travel times measured in hours or even minutes, as opposed to days. They run more frequently than long distance trains, and are often used by commuters. Short distance passenger trains specifically designed for commuters are known as commuter rail . High speed trains are designed to be much faster than conventional trains, and typically run on their own separate tracks than other, slower trains. The first high speed train
14385-817: The optimal position to align precisely with the position of each car door. Since the technology is still new, such doors are still going through testing phases in several countries around the world. Line D of the Buenos Aires Subte is planned to have platform screen doors installed in the future as soon as the CBTC system is installed. Sydney Metro , which opened in May 2019, was the first-fully automated rapid transit rail system in Australia. Full-height screen doors are provided on most underground platforms, with full-height edge doors on at-grade, elevated and some underground platforms. The existing five stations on
14522-420: The platform edge onto the railway tracks . But they sometimes reach to the height of the train. Like full-height platform screen doors, these platform gates slide open or close simultaneously with the train doors. These two types of platform screen doors are presently the main types in the world. These doors help to: Their primary disadvantage is their cost. When used to retrofit older systems, they can limit
14659-400: The remaining stations. Automatic platform gates are currently only used in at-grade and elevated stations, while platform screen doors are used in all underground and some at-grade or elevated stations. None of the light rail platforms have platform screen doors or automatic platform gates installed. The MTR Corporation had since mid-1996, been studying the feasibility of installing PSDs at
14796-724: The rest of the century as technology advanced. Trains first entered service in South America, Africa, and Asia through construction by imperial powers , which starting in the 1840s built railroads to solidify control of their colonies and transport cargo for export. In Japan, which was never colonized, railroads first arrived in the early 1870s. By 1900, railroads were operating on every continent besides uninhabited Antarctica. Even as steam locomotive technology continued to improve, inventors in Germany started work on alternative methods for powering trains. Werner von Siemens built
14933-547: The rest of the world, Janney couplers are the most popular, with a few local variations persisting (such as Wilson couplers in the former Soviet Union). On multiple units all over the world, Scharfenberg couplers are common. Because trains are heavy, powerful brakes are needed to slow or stop trains, and because steel wheels on steel rails have relatively low friction, brakes must be distributed among as many wheels as possible. Early trains could only be stopped by manually applied hand brakes, requiring workers to ride on top of
15070-535: The same time the system's Chinese name changed from "地鐵" ("underground railway") to "港鐵" ("Hong Kong Railway"). After the merger, the MTR network included three more lines— East Rail line , West Rail line , and Ma On Shan line (now the Tuen Ma line )—as well as the light rail network and Guangdong through train to Guangzhou . On 28 September 2008, fare zones of all urban lines, East Rail line, Ma On Shan line, and West Rail line were merged. A passenger could travel on these networks with only one ticket, except where
15207-551: The same time, keep costs low and non-air-conditioned platforms naturally ventilated. However, these gates are less effective than full platform screen doors in preventing people from intentionally jumping onto the tracks. These gates were first in practical use by the Hong Kong MTR on the Disneyland Resort line for the open-air station designs. Most half-height platform edge door designs have taller designs than
15344-419: The section of the Kwun Tong line from Chater to Argyle (since renamed Central and Mong Kok respectively) was transferred to the Tsuen Wan line. Thus, Waterloo station (since renamed Yau Ma Tei ) became the terminus of the Kwun Tong line, and both Argyle and Prince Edward stations became interchange stations. This change was made because system planners expected the patronage of the Tsuen Wan line to exceed that of
15481-401: The station floor and ceiling, while the half-height platform screen doors are referred to as platform edge doors or automatic platform gates , as they do not reach the ceiling and thus do not create a total barrier. Platform gates are usually only half of the height of the full-screen doors, are chest-height sliding doors at the edge of railway platforms to prevent passengers from falling off
15618-446: The station was never built. This is not to be confused with the modern-day Tsuen Wan West station on Tuen Ma line , which lies on a newly reclaimed area near the former ferry pier. Since opening in 1982, the Tsuen Wan line is the line whose alignment has remained the same for the longest time. For example, the Kwun Tong line's alignment has changed three times since its opening—the taking over of Tsuen Wan line from Mong Kok to Central,
15755-746: The suspended monorail in Dortmund , called H-Bahn . Plans are underway to test platform screen doors on the Munich U-Bahn in 2023 and line U5 & U6 will be installed in late 2026. All stations on the forthcoming line U5 on the Hamburg U-Bahn will feature full-height platform screen doors. Platform screen doors will be used on the driverless Thessaloniki Metro , which opens in November 2023 and in Line 4 of Athens Metro . Currently, all heavy rail and medium-capacity railway platforms outside
15892-476: The taking over of Eastern Harbour Crossing section by the Tseung Kwan O line, and its extension to Whampoa . Government approvals were granted for construction of the Island line in December 1980. Construction commenced in October 1981. On 31 May 1985, the Island line was opened with service between Admiralty station and Chai Wan station . Both Admiralty and Central stations became interchange stations with
16029-507: The ten stations of the Saint Petersburg Metro 's Line 2 that opened between 1961 and 1972. The platform "doors" are actually openings in the station wall, which supports the ceiling of the platform. The track tunnels adjoining the ten stations' island platforms were built with tunnel boring machines (TBMs), and the island platforms were actually located in a separate vault between the two track tunnels. Usually, TBMs bore
16166-763: The term is used today to refer to crew members who perform tasks such as operating switches, coupling and uncoupling train cars, and setting handbrakes on equipment. Steam locomotives require a fireman who is responsible for fueling and regulating the locomotive's fire and boiler. On passenger trains, other crew members assist passengers, such as chefs to prepare food, and service attendants to provide food and drinks to passengers. Other passenger train specific duties include passenger car attendants, who assist passengers with boarding and alighting from trains, answer questions, and keep train cars clean, and sleeping car attendants, who perform similar duties in sleeping cars . Some trains can operate with automatic train operation without
16303-671: The train and reaching Tiu Keng Leng would allow them to board the Tseung Kwan O line trains towards Po Lam / LOHAS Park . This design makes interchanging more convenient and passengers do not have the need to change to different levels. However this interchange arrangement is not available for all transferring passengers at Kowloon Tong , Central , Hong Kong , Quarry Bay , Nam Cheong (except transfer between Tuen Mun and Hong Kong bound trains), Mei Foo , Tai Wai (only between southbound Tuen Ma line and East Rail line trains) and Sunny Bay (except transfer between Tung Chung and Disneyland Resort bound trains) stations, mainly because this service
16440-451: The train reaches the station, a special scanner on the platform receives and scans the information on the ID tag placed on the train to identify the type and the number of train cars. With the type and the number of cars for the arriving train having been instantly identified, each unit will slide automatically to match the length of the stopped train cars. The parent and child doors then slide into
16577-518: The trains in the tunnels. Singapore 's Mass Rapid Transit , opened in 1987, is often described as the first heavy metro system in the world to incorporate PSDs into its stations for climate control and safety reasons, rather than architectural constraints, though the light Lille Metro , opened in 1983, predates it. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, platform screen doors can refer to both full-height and half-height barriers. Full height platform screen doors are total barriers between
16714-636: The world, allowing freight and passengers to move over land faster and cheaper than ever possible before. Rapid transit and trams were first built in the late 1800s to transport large numbers of people in and around cities. Beginning in the 1920s, and accelerating following World War II , diesel and electric locomotives replaced steam as the means of motive power. Following the development of cars , trucks , and extensive networks of highways which offered greater mobility, as well as faster airplanes , trains declined in importance and market share, and many rail lines were abandoned. The spread of buses led to
16851-540: The world, such as monorail . The railway terminology that is used to describe a train varies between countries. The International Union of Railways seeks to provide standardised terminology across languages. The Association of American Railroads provides terminology for North America. The British Rail Safety and Standards Board defines a train as a "light locomotive, self-propelled rail vehicle or road-rail vehicle in rail mode." A collection of passenger or freight carriages connected together (not necessarily with
16988-599: Was decided that the PSDs were to be removed to allow for smoother train operations. With the opening of the Tung Chung line and Airport Express , Hong Kong had its first full-height PSDs fully operational in 1998. The MTR decided in 1999 to undertake the PSD Retrofitting Programme at 74 platforms of 30 select underground stations on the Kwun Tong , Island , and Tsuen Wan lines . 2,960 pairs of PSDs were ordered from Gilgen Door Systems. Choi Hung became
17125-500: Was designed to blend in with the ambiance of the resort. The line operates fully automated trains running every four to ten minutes without a driver. The carriages are refurbished M-train rolling stock to match the recreational and adventurous nature of the 3.5-minute journey. The AsiaWorld–Expo station is an extension of the Airport Express serving a new international exhibition centre, AsiaWorld–Expo , at Hong Kong International Airport. The station opened on 20 December 2005 along with
17262-432: Was extended across the harbour on 5 August 1989 to Quarry Bay station , which became an interchange station for the Kwun Tong line and the Island line . An intermediate station, Lam Tin , started operations on 1 October 1989. The decision was made in October 1989 to construct a new international airport at Chek Lap Kok on Lantau Island to replace the overcrowded Kai Tak International Airport . The government invited
17399-447: Was granted a patent for "Safety fence and gate for railway-platforms". The invention consisted of "a fence for railway platform edges", composed of a series of pickets bolted to the platform edge, and vertically movable pickets that could retract into a platform edge when there was a train in the station. In 1917, Carl Albert West was granted a patent for "Gate for subrailways and the like". The invention provided for spaced guides secured to
17536-874: Was higher than that of air travel at 0.07 deaths per billion passenger miles, it was also far below the 7.28 deaths per billion passenger miles of car travel. In the 21st century, several derailments of oil trains caused fatalities, most notably the Canadian Lac-Mégantic rail disaster in 2013 which killed 47 people and leveled much of the town of Lac-Mégantic . The vast majority of train-related fatalities, over 90 percent, are due to trespassing on railroad tracks, or collisions with road vehicles at level crossings . Organizations such as Operation Lifesaver have been formed to improve safety awareness at railroad crossings, and governments have also launched ad campaigns. Trains cannot stop quickly when at speed; even an emergency brake application may still require more than
17673-426: Was initiated due to overcrowding at Quarry Bay and persistent passenger complaints about the five-minute walk from the Island line platforms to the Kwun Tong line platform. Construction began in September 1997 and was completed in September 2001 at a cost of HK$ 3.1 billion. As with most earlier interchange stations, a cross-platform interchange arrangement was provided here in both directions. Construction of
17810-567: Was largely different from the original study. The projected 1986 populations of Castle Peak New Town , Sha Tin New Town , and, to a lesser extent, Tsuen Wan New Town , were revised downwards, and the plan for a new town in Tseung Kwan O was shelved. In this updated scenario, the consultants reduced the scale of the recommended system. The supplementary report stated that the originally suggested four tracks between Admiralty station and Mong Kok station should be reduced to two, and only parts of
17947-476: Was made in April 2006 and approved in March 2008 as part of the bid for the Sha Tin to Central Link . Two new stations at Whampoa and Ho Man Tin opened on 23 October 2016. The South Island line opened on 28 December 2016 between Admiralty and South Horizons , linking the MTR to Southern District for the first time. With the opening of the South Island line, all 18 districts of Hong Kong are served by
18084-521: Was previously deemed infeasible, due to SkyTrain's diverse fleet and different door positions. However, with the acquisition of the Alstom Mark V trains , which will replace the ageing Mark I , the door positions allow for a feasibility study to proceed. The results will be released sometime in 2025. Platform edge doors are currently in use at Lines 3 and 6 of the Santiago Metro , being
18221-510: Was submitted to the Legislative Council on 14 February 1968. The consultants received new data from the 1966 by-census on 6 March 1968. A short supplementary report was submitted on 22 March 1968 and amended in June 1968. The by-census indicated that the projected 1986 population was reduced by more than one million from the previous estimate to 5,647,000. The dramatic reduction affected town planning . The population distribution
18358-558: Was the Japanese Shinkansen , which entered service in 1964. In the following decades, high speed rail networks were developed across much of Europe and Eastern Asia, providing fast and reliable service competitive with automobiles and airplanes. The first high-speed train in the Americas was Amtrak 's Acela in the United States, which entered service in 2000. Towards the end of the 20th century, increased awareness of
18495-552: Was the Japanese Shinkansen , which opened in 1964. In the 21st century, services such as the French TGV and German Intercity Express are competitive with airplanes in travel time over short to medium distances. A subset of high speed trains are higher speed trains , which bridge the gap between conventional and high speed trains, and travel at speeds between the two. Examples include the Northeast Regional in
18632-442: Was to tender the entire project, based on the British design, as a single tender at a fixed price. A consortium from Japan, led by Mitsubishi , submitted the only proposal within the government's $ 5-billion price ceiling. They signed an agreement to construct the system in early 1974, but in December of the same year, pulled out of the agreement for reasons stemming from fears of the oil crisis . Several weeks later, in early 1975,
18769-608: Was transferred to the Hang Seng Index . MTRCL has often developed properties next to stations to complement its profitable railway business. Many recently built stations were incorporated into large housing estates or shopping complexes. For example, Tsing Yi station is built next to the Maritime Square shopping centre and directly underneath the Tierra Verde housing estate. On 11 April 2006, MTRCL signed
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