Hong Kong is a huge metropolis. And quite often, to get from one end of the city to the other, you have to use several types of transport. But the most popular is the subway. We invite you to learn more about the Hong Kong subway, as well as get acquainted with some tips that help you not to get lost in underground transport.
general information
The Hong Kong Metro began its work almost forty years ago - in 1979. It quickly became the most popular public transport in the city. To date, about half of the megalopolis residents use the metro every day - about 4.2 million people.
Metro is a huge railway network that includes suburban routes and the metro itself. It has a common name - Mass Transit Railway, or, in abbreviated form, MTR.
Stations
Today, the Hong Kong Metro has 84 stations. They are scattered throughout the city, making it easy to get anywhere. Hong Kong subway stations are signed with a hieroglyph, which is indicated by the letter "Zh". They are located directly on the streets and even in the buildings of large shops and offices.
There are 9 lines in total on the metro: Vostochnaya, Kunthon, Chunyan, Island, Tunchun, Chenkuanou, Disneyland, Zapadnaya, Maonsan.
There is also a line leading to the airport.
Fare, tickets
The Hong Kong subway has three types of tickets: an octopus card, a one-time ticket and a tourist card.
An octopus card is a contactless card that you can not remove from your wallet, but just bring the accessory to the reader for passage in the subway. The balance is displayed on the turnstile, as well as the cost of the trip. The card can be replenished independently. If you don’t need it anymore, but there is money left on it, then you need to hand it over to the underground cash desk and get the money back. It is noteworthy that an octopus card can be paid not only in the metro, but also in stores and in cafes.
A single ticket costs from 4 HKD to 26HKD and depends on the route of your trip and its distance. It operates only one trip and at the exit the turnstile takes it from you.
A tourist ticket is divided into an adult who costs 55 HKD at the box office or 52 HKD when buying online, and a child, which costs 25 HKD. It is valid for one month for trips on all lines except the route to the airport.
You can buy a ticket at the box office or at a ticket machine. The latter are fairly easy to use. You just need to select the desired station and pay the cost of the trip, which you will see on the screen.
The fares are not fixed, but vary by zone. The farther the zone is from the center of Hong Kong, the more expensive the route will cost. Free travel is allowed for children under three years of age. Interestingly, this is determined not by date of birth, but by height. At each station near the turnstiles there is a giraffe line, where the growth of a 3-year-old child is recorded. If the baby is not above the mark, then he can ride for free.
Inside the subway
You can go down to the platforms by stairs or on an escalator. It is noteworthy that the last handrails are processed every hour with a special compound that disinfects them. And every five steps there is a reminder in the form of a foot about where to stand correctly and safely. By the way, long passages are equipped with special moving belts - travelators.
Inside the stations and in the cars themselves, the air conditioning system is very well established. It is not only cool, but also peeled. Metro workers carefully monitor the cleanliness of platforms and wagons. In addition, people are called to order. For this, there are rules prohibiting eating and drinking on the subway. Numerous displays constantly remind of this. Next to them are bags in which you can hide unfinished food or an unfinished drink. Garbage can be thrown into special garbage containers, which are differentiated by type of waste.
The platforms also take care of security. All stations are equipped with a special protective glass, which also reduces the noise level of the rolling stock. Thanks to this, the Hong Kong subway is one of the most silent in the world. When the train arrived at the platform, glass doors open. By the way, the cars themselves are also quite quiet.
On each platform there are light displays where information is displayed on the direction of the train and the time of its arrival. Inside the train cars there is a light map of the entire metro with arrows indicating the movement of the train. At the entrance to the station lights come on. Visual information is duplicated by a speech in Chinese and English.
In the transitions there are many signs with information about the direction, which helps to easily navigate the subway. The text is also presented in two languages. Each exit, of which there are several at any station, is indicated by a Latin letter and a tablet with a description of where it leads, as well as photographs of the attractions located above. The Alley of Stars (Hong Kong) looks very interesting. East Tsim Sha Tsui Subway Station is decorated with photographs of local monuments and attractions.
Particular attention in the Hong Kong subway is given to people with disabilities. Here, each station and passage are equipped with special elevators and turnstiles, which are wider than usual and allow people in wheelchairs to drive freely. For those who see poorly or completely nothing, tactile tracks are provided in the subway. There are also ticket machines that emit a characteristic signal of their whereabouts, and all buttons are provided with text for the blind and, when pressed, are accompanied by a voice speech.
Metro Hours
Hong Kong metro schedule does not depend on traffic jams and weather conditions. Opening hours begin at 5:30 or 6 in the morning and last until 1 in the morning. The metro operates seven days a week year-round.
During peak hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., trains run at intervals of about five minutes.
Interesting facts about the Hong Kong subway
Each Hong Kong subway station has free Wi-Fi and there are terminals with free internet. It is convenient not only for local residents, but also for tourists.
A subway line that connects to Disneyland is quite original. The windows of the cars are in the shape of the head of Mickey Mouse. And the trains themselves are automated, and not controlled by engine drivers.
There is a special pleasant moment for people following the Kowloon (Kowloon) or Hong Kong (Hong Kong) - Airport route. The metro pleases not only with a cheaper trip than a taxi. At these stations, you can check in for your flight and even check in your luggage. As a result, you will go to the airport with hand luggage, and you can get there in 20 minutes. Trains in this direction run every 12 minutes.