On The Line: The history of Hong Kong MTR Stations

Standing on one of this station’s six platforms at 8am is a quintessential Hong Kong experience: thousands of commuters squeezing past each other in one of
the planet’s most densely populated spots. MTR planners chose to forgo the name Ha Wan – the old geographic and administrative division that Admiralty would once have resided in – and were instead inspired by HMS Tamar, the ship that existed as the British Royal Navy’s nearby floating headquarters from 1897 until after World War II. The station’s Chinese name, 金鐘, meaning ‘golden bell,’ is a reference to the bell that hung at the nearby Wellington Barracks (now known as Harcourt Gardens). In the 19th century, Admiralty was known as Scandal Point – the place where expat churchgoers gossiped after Sunday masses at St John’s Cathedral. Still the centre of political intrigue in Hong Kong, Scandal Point lives up to its name to this very day. Alan Chang

Situated at the eastern end of the Island Line, Chai Wan is, perhaps surprisingly, one of the more notable MTR locales. The station opened in 1985 along with the rest of the Island Line’s original stops – a grouping that initially only stretched to Admiralty. For 30 years it held the record as the MTR’s southernmost outpost, an accolade Chai Wan was forced to concede once the South Island Line came into operation in 2016. Fans of the station can console themselves with the fact that Chai Wan remains unique for being the only station along its line with an elevated platform of the kind common along the Kwun Tong Line. Plans were examined in 2013 for extending the network over to Siu Sai Wan. However, complications regarding the line’s alignment and the need for a tunnel beneath Pottinger Peak mean Chai Wan is likely to remain the end of the line.

Diamond Hill is one of Hong Kong’s oldest MTR stations. Its coal black tiling is dotted with white tiles to mirror a sparkling diamond in obvious reflection of the station’s name. (Contrary to its glamourous moniker, the area has never been a gem of a neighbourhood and was once home to a significant squatter population.) A series of minor escalator accidents earlier this year underscores the station’s age. However, it’s getting a revamp as part of the new Sha Tin to Central Link, scheduled to open in 2019. The new platforms that will service the Sha Tin to Central Link trains have been decorated with larger diamond patterns that are hardly subtle. Commuters were unimpressed when the MTR revealed the designs earlier this year, with one online commentator declaring: “The ugliness has reached a new level.” Evelyn Lam

The Disneyland Resort Line was the world’s first metro line designed to service a Disneyland theme park. It’s also the shortest MTR line in Hong Kong, just 2.4 miles long with only two stops: Sunny Bay and Disneyland Resort. Operating since August 2005, the Disneyland Resort Line is a convenient method for reaching the supposed ‘happiest place on Earth’ and there are a number of touches special to the line. Disneyland Resort station itself is a marvel, too. The platforms are Victorian in design – in line with the theme of Disneyland Main Street and Disneyland Hotel – and the pathway from the station to the theme park is designed according to feng shui principles to help maintain positive energy and improve the park’s luck. The station was also the first to introduce automatic platform gates to prevent passengers – mostly the kids – from accidentally falling onto the track. A happy place indeed.

If you need proof of the influence wielded by Hong Kong property developers, just examine the history of Olympic MTR Station. The site opened in December 1996 after significant controversy. Originally, the station was to be called Tai Kok Tsui after the working class neighbourhood where the station was being built. However, property developers pushed hard to have the named changed because, supposedly, they feared it wouldn’t sound fancy enough for their desired high-rolling clientele. What to call it then? Inspiration struck after Lee Lai-shan won Hong Kong’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in 1996 and five gold medals followed in that year’s Paralympic Games. Scurrying after this gold rush, developers plumped for the current name. Artistic murals of athletes decorate the station’s platforms, a sop to their achievements, but the developers made sure they didn’t miss out either. Gigi Wong

Opened in 1978 to accommodate the influx of guests travelling to and from Sha Tin Racecourse, this MTR station is not only one of the oldest stations in HongKong, it’s also the lone station that does not operate daily – it only operates on race days and special events held at the racecourse. Located in the mid-way point between Sha Tin and University stations, Racecourse station is also unique to the city as trains can arrive at either platform regardless of direction. Commuters must watch for signals from MTR staff to know which direction the next train is headed. The exclusivity of this historic station presents a plethora of disadvantages, such as a lack of public toilets and ticket and vending machines, as well as escalators. Nonetheless, accessibility and cheap ticket fares make it the preferred choice for Hongkongers to get to Sha Tin Racecourse come Sundays. Elaine Lok

As the dedicated terminus of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail, Hong Kong’s newest public transportation showpiece, West Kowloon Railway Station connects China’s high speed railway systems to Hong Kong. Not without significant controversy, though. The main point of contention centres around the fact that a quarter of the site is leased to mainland China and subject to national law – a decision that has been criticised for violating the ‘one country, two systems’ policy stipulated in Hong Kong’s Basic Law. According to the local government, the establishment of this area allows for a more convenient implementation of the two-way inspection between Hong Kong and the Mainland. Opposition groups decry such a claim. Still, after almost a decade of delays, budget overruns and controversy, Hong Kong does finally have access to high-speed rail. Only time will tell if this is all a price worth paying. Gigi Wong

Whampoa opened in October 2016 as part of the $7.2 billion, 2.6km Kwun Tong Line extension project. Delayed for a year, things didn’t get off to a smooth start when the station finally became operational – the first train to leave Whampoa came to a juddering stop just a few seconds after its departure, although it swiftly resumed course for its inaugural journey to Tiu King Leng. The extension serves more than 100,000 passengers daily and cuts down the journey from Whampoa to Admiralty to just 16 minutes. But while some celebrate the greater convenience, others lament the inevitable spike in rents, reportedly of around 20 to 30 percent, which has led to the closure of many small local businesses. Taxi and minibus drivers operating in Whampoa have also taken a hit since the station opened as a substantial portion of their passengers have opted to go underground. Douglas Parkes