Island Line (MTR) Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
The Island Line is one of the six lines of the MTR metro system in Hong Kong. It runs from Sheung Wan in Central and Western to Chai Wan in Eastern district.
The line is indicated with the colour blue.
History
The Hong Kong Government authorised the construction of the 12.5 kilometre long Island Line in December 1980, after rejecting plans to extend the tram to Chai Wan. On 31 May 1985 the Island Line opened with service between Admiralty and Chai Wan stations. Both Admiralty and Central stations became interchange stations with the Tsuen Wan Line. Furthermore, each train was extended to eight cars. On 23 May of 1986, service reached Sheung Wan station.
After the Kwun Tong Line was extended to Quarry Bay station on 1 October 1989, the station became an interchange station with the Island Line. In a response to congestion at Quarry Bay station due to the popular interchange located there, the government recommended the "Quarry Bay Congestion Relief Works" project, and decided to expand North Point station to include a second interchange with the Kwun Tong Line, starting construction in September 1997.
The North Point interchange opened on 27 September 2001, and proved to be a much more efficient method of interchanging, as the new station featured cross-platform interchange, reducing the time required to interchange from four minutes at Quarry Bay station to less than one minute.
On 4 August 2002, North Point and Quarry Bay became interchange stations with the new Tseung Kwan O Line.
For the future, extensions were considered towards Kennedy Town, but never came into fruition as the plan irequired land reclamation on the western coast of Hong Kong Island, which was scrapped due to cost. However, the current plan for the new lines to Southern District would require parts of the Western extension in order for it to be completed.
If the "North Island Line" is built along the current coast of the Island, the Island Line would be divided by the Tseung Kwan O Line and Tung Chung Line, with the former running to Sheung Wan and the latter to Chai Wan.
The Island Line is the MTR line most like the London Tube as the underground stations are usually very deep in the ground because the land available for construction was extremely small and the construction plans for the line required it to be built under major roads. Only the segment of the line east of Shau Kei Wan has space for track development and thus the line emerges to the surface at Heng Fa Chuen, and then on viaduct all the way to Chai Wan.
Route Features
Stations
The stations of the line are:
| Name | District | Connections |
|---|---|---|
| Island Line | ||
| Sheung Wan | Central and Western | |
| Central Formerly Chater |
Central and Western | Tsuen Wan, Airport Express and Tung Chung via Hong Kong station |
| Admiralty | Central and Western | Tsuen Wan |
| Wanchai | Wanchai | South Island Line |
| Causeway Bay | Wanchai | |
| Tin Hau | Eastern | Tseung Kwan O Line |
| Fortress Hill | Eastern | Tung Chung |
| North Point | Eastern | Tseung Kwan O Line |
| Quarry Bay | Eastern | Tseung Kwan O Line |
| Tai Koo | Eastern | |
| Sai Wan Ho | Eastern | |
| Shau Kei Wan | Eastern | |
| Heung Fa Chuen | Eastern | |
| Chai Wan | Eastern | |