West Rail line

For the RTD (Denver, Colorado, U.S.) light rail line known as the West Rail line during construction, see W Line (RTD).

West Rail line
西鐵綫
A West Rail line IKK train arriving at Kam Sheung Road station in June 2008
Overview
StatusCeased operation (27 June 2021)
LocaleDistricts: Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Kwai Tsing (no station), Tsuen Wan, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun
Termini
Continues asTuen Ma line
Former connections
Stations12
Color on map     Magenta (#A3238F)
Service
TypeRapid Transit
SystemMTR
Depot(s)Pat Heung
Rolling stockSP1900/1950 EMU
Tuen Ma Line C-train
Ridership442,600 weekday average
(Sept to Oct 2014)[1]
History
Opened20 December 2003; 20 years ago (2003-12-20)
Closed27 June 2021; 3 years ago (2021-06-27) (merged with the Ma On Shan line to form the Tuen Ma line)
Technical
Line length35.7 km (22.2 mi)[2]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification25 kV 50 Hz AC (Overhead lines)
Operating speed130 km/h (81 mph)
Route map
Legend
Up arrow Light Rail Up arrow
Tuen Mun     
Tuen Mun River
Siu Hong     
Tuen Mun River
Light Rail Right arrow
 Tin Shui Wai     
Light Rail Right arrow
 Long Ping
Yuen Long     
Kam Sheung Road
Pat Heung Depot
Tai Lam Tunnel
 Tsuen Wan West
Tsuen Wan line
to Tsuen Wan
Right arrow
Mei Foo     
UpperLeft arrow
Tung Chung line
to Tung Chung
 Nam Cheong     
Down arrow
Tung Chung line
to Hong Kong
 Austin
(West Kowloon)
UpperLeft arrow
Tsuen Wan line
to Central
Tsim Sha Tsui      (OSI)
 East Tsim Sha Tsui
Hung Hom     
Rail transport in Hong Kong#Cross-border services
Down arrow
East Rail line
to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau
Down arrow
Tuen Ma line
to Wu Kai Sha
This diagram:
West Rail line
Traditional Chinese西鐵綫
Simplified Chinese西铁线
Literal meaningWest Rail line
Long Ping station platform in December 2008
West Rail line Pat Heung Section in November 2009
Appearance of Tsuen Wan West station in January 2010
Hung Hom station Platform 2 in April 2014

The West Rail line (Chinese: 西鐵綫) was a rapid transit line that formed part of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system in Hong Kong until 27 June 2021. Coloured magenta on the MTR map, the line ran from Tuen Mun to Hung Hom, with a total length of 35.7 kilometres (22.2 mi), in 37 minutes.[3] The railway connected the urban area of Kowloon and the new towns of Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai and Tuen Mun in the northwestern New Territories.

The line was the second of three lines built and operated by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC), then known as the KCR West Rail (九廣西鐵). It was designed to suburban rail standards similar to that of KCR's first line, now the East Rail line, anticipating freight[4] and intercity services to Mainland China,[5] although the latter role was ultimately superseded by the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link Hong Kong section as part of the China Railway High-speed network.

After KCRC's merger of operations with the MTR Corporation on 2 December 2007,[6] the West Rail line was operated as part of the MTR network. Along with the Ma On Shan line, the line was integrated into the Tuen Ma line in June 2021 upon the completion of Phase 1 of the Sha Tin to Central Link.

  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. ^ "Island Line". Highways Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference mtrc01 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ KCRC (1999). "Planning for New Projects" (PDF). KCRC. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  5. ^ Panel on Transport, Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways (22 November 2013). "Appendix II: Chronology of major developments of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link project" (PDF). Legislative Council, Hong Kong. Retrieved 20 February 2014. LC Paper No. CB(1)308/13-14(05)
  6. ^ "History – About KCRC". Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation. Retrieved 5 March 2015.