East Rail (KCRC) Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
. It was made in 1982 and renovated in 1997.]]The East Rail is one of the three lines of the KCRC network in Hong Kong.
It starts at Tsim Sha Tsui East in Kowloon and ends at Lo Wu before crossing the border into Shenzhen. The route used to be the only line of the KCRC, but following the consturction of the West Rail, it was designated the East Rail to avoid confusion.
The construction of the East Rail started in 1910, and was originally known as the Kowloon-Canton Railway. The part of the railway located in Hong Kong was referred to as the "British Section," while the remaining route to Guangzhou was called the "Chinese Section," now the Guangshen Railway. Initially, service was only from Yau Ma Tei station to Fanling station. The line was generally single track, with a passing loop at each station.
Through the years, more stations continued to be added to the line. Sheung Shui station was opened in the 1930s, and University station opened in 1955. The line was originally built with narrow gauge tracks, but just before opening standard gauge track was laid and the original tracks were used to build a branch line from Fanling to Sha Tau Kok. This branch was unsuccessful and closed on 1 April 1928 following the opening a road that ran parallel to the train.
The development of the towns along the train line began to grow immensly during the 1970s, prompting a redevelopment of the East Rail. The original Tsim Sha Tsui terminus was too small and had no room for expansion, so a new terminus site was chosen in Hung Hom. The new terminus replaced the old one in 1974. Today, the clock tower is the only structure left from the old terminus.
The track was also doubled and electrified, requiring the re-construction of a tunnel. The new construction allowed for interchange with the MTR for the first time unit]]s replacing diesel locomotives.
The line was also doubled (throughout) and electrified. This work involves re-building a tunnel and providing a new interchange with the MTR. The development finished in sections between 1982 and 1983, with new electric multiple units replacing diesel locomotives. During the electrification, stations continued to be added to the line. On 25 November 1984, a train derailed between Sheung Shui and Fanling station. The accident causes service to stop for a whole day.
Now the line is the only rail line in Hong Kong that serves both local commuters as well as long distance passenger and freight various cities in China, including Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing. The line is generally double-track and electrified, except for certain goods sheds.
On October 24, 2004, the East Tsim Sha Tsui Station was introduced, reducing traffic jam and the passenger flow of Kowloon Tong Station. The distance from Hung Hom to TST east is about 1km with the journey time of 1.5min. However, the fares are unusually high (e.g., from Sha Tin, the fare to Hung Hom is only HK$5.1 (US65c), but the fare to the station is HK$7.6 (US97c)). That is why passengers complained that the extension is quite bad. Moreover, there were not enough indications on the trial run day, so KCRC has added more signs inside the station and divided the station into red, green and blue zones. The welcome signs of Simplified Chinese, French, Japanese and Korean were also added. KCRC is also considering adding more signs of Simplified Chinese at all stations for the convenience of tourists from Mainland China.
On the other hand, there is a long way from the station to Tsim Sha Tsui Station.
History
Stations
The stations of this line are:
| Name | District | Connections | Opening Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Rail | |||
| Tsim Sha Tsui East | Tsim Sha Tsui | '''Tsuen Wan Line | 2004 |
| Hung Hom | Hung Hom | 1974 | |
| Mong Kok | Mong Kok | Tsuen Wan Line No direct connection to Mong Kok MTR station. | Opened 1910: relocated 1968 |
| Kowloon Tong | Kowloon City | Kwun Tong Line | 1982 |
| Tai Wai | Sha Tin | Ma On Shan Rail | 1983 |
| Sha Tin | Sha Tin | 1910 | |
| Fo Tan | Fo Tan | 1985 | |
| Racecourse | Sha Tin | 1982 | |
| University | The Chinese University of Hong Kong | 1955 | |
| Science Park | |||
| Tai Po Market | Tai Po | Opened 1910: relocated 1983 | |
| Tai Wo | Tai Wo | 1989 | |
| Fanling | 1910 | ||
| Sheng Shui | Sheung Shui | 1930 | |
| Lo Wu | Lo Wu | 1910 | |