Island line (MTR)

This article is about the MTR line in Hong Kong. For other uses, see Island Line.

Island line
港島綫
Platform 2 to Kennedy Town at Causeway Bay station
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerMTR Corporation
LocaleDistricts: Eastern, Wan Chai, Central & Western
Termini
Connecting lines
Former connections
Stations17
Color on map     Dark blue (#007DC5)
Service
TypeRapid transit
SystemMTR
Depot(s)Chai Wan
Rolling stockMTR Metro Cammell EMU (DC)
CRRC Qingdao Sifang SFM47/47A
Ridership947,100 daily average (weekdays, September 2014)[1]
History
Opened31 May 1985; 39 years ago (1985-05-31)
Last extension28 December 2014; 9 years ago (2014-12-28) (Extension of Island line to Western District)
29 March 2015; 9 years ago (2015-03-29) (Opening of Sai Ying Pun)
Technical
Line length14.93 km (9.28 mi)[2]
Track length16.3 km (10.1 mi)
Number of tracksDouble-track
Track gauge1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in) (Chai Wan to Sheung Wan)
1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge (West Island Line)
Electrification1,500 V DC (Overhead line)
Operating speed
  • Average: 33 km/h (21 mph)
  • Maximum: 80 km/h (50 mph)[3]
SignallingAdvanced SelTrac CBTC (future)
Train protection system
Average inter-station distance525 m (1,722 ft)
Route map
Legend
Reversing siding
 Kennedy Town
HKU
Sai Ying Pun
Crossover
 Sheung Wan
Tung Chung line
to Tung Chung
Up arrow
Airport Express
to AsiaWorld–Expo
Up arrow
 Hong Kong          
Pedestrian tunnel within paid area
 Central     
Admiralty sidings
Admiralty               
East Rail line
to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau
Right arrow
Left arrow
South Island line
to South Horizons
Tsuen Wan line
to Tsuen Wan
Right arrow
 Wan Chai
Crossover
 Causeway Bay
Tin Hau
Fortress Hill
North Point     
Quarry Bay     
Tseung Kwan O line
to Po Lam or LOHAS Park
Right arrow
Crossover
 Tai Koo
Tai Koo siding
originally leading out to seashore[5] Down arrow
 Sai Wan Ho
Shau Kei Wan
Heng Fa Chuen
Chai Wan Depot
Crossover
 Chai Wan
Overrun tracks
This diagram:
Island line
Traditional Chinese港島綫
Simplified Chinese港岛线
Cantonese YaleGóng dóu sin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinGǎngdǎo xiàn
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationGóng dóu sin
JyutpingGong2 dou2 sin3

The Island line (Chinese: 港島綫) is one of ten lines of the MTR, the mass transit system in Hong Kong. It runs from Kennedy Town in the Western district to Chai Wan in the Eastern District on Hong Kong Island, passing through the territory's major business districts of Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, and connecting them with built-up areas on the north shore of the island. The line is coloured dark blue on the MTR map.

The line first opened on 31 May 1985. As of 2022 it travels 16.3 kilometres (10.1 mi)[2] in 25 minutes along its route, serving 17 stations. The line is indicated in dark blue colour on the MTR route map.

  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. ^ a b "Island Line". Highways Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. 14 April 2015. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  3. ^ "Business Overview" (PDF). MTR. July 2021. p. 6. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Annual Report 2021" (PDF). MTR Corporation. 10 March 2022. p. 22. Retrieved 6 August 2022. In 2021, we continued with the project to replace the existing signalling system ("SACEM System") on our four urban lines (Island, Tseung Kwan O, Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan lines).
  5. ^ The siding at Tai Koo used to lead all the way out to the seashore, in order to facilitate the moving in of rolling stock, and to connect to a temporary depot used before the one at Chai Wan was opened. Most of the tracks have been removed and the tunnel filled in for the construction of Lei King Wan.