LRT in Hong Kong's New Suburbs

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH RECORD 1361 57 LRT in Hong Kong's New Suburbs JONATHAN Yu The first phase of Hong Kong's light rail transit (LRT) system modes of public transport, and no major incident has occurred opened in September 1988, providing a fully integrated transport that caused widespread interruption of service for an extended service for the fast growing northwestern region of the New Ter period of time. ritories. Designed as a high-capacity carrier yet providing a com Despite the very low fares charged (which, at the end of prehensive network of services, the system features a large num 1991, averaged HK$2.10, more or less the same charged by ber of stopping points located in commercial, industrial, and residential areas. Many of the stops are directly linked by foot ordinary Hong Kong buses), fare revenues almost cover 100 bridges to transport interchanges and into the housing develop percent of the system's direct operating costs (excluding pro ments. The system opened on time and within budget, with very visions for depreciation) thanks to continued rapid patronage few technical start-up problems. Yet its early days of operation growth and productivity enhancements. were clouded by controversy, and at one time it was branded as dangerous and trouble-prone by the local media. The LRT system is the only public transport service in Hong Kong that features an open fare system, giving maximum customer convenience with BACKGROUND ON THE SYSTEM'S out turnstiles on the platforms or in the vehicles. Passengers pay CONSTRUCTION for the number of fare zones they travel through rather than the route they take. The system now regularly operates with 98 per The northwest part of the New Territories of Hong Kong, cent punctuality and 99.9 percent reliability despite having 18 which includes the new town of Tuen Mun, a developing major and 51 minor road crossings, all at grade and without barriers. Average journey speeds achieved are 20 km/hr including market town, Yuen Long, and the Castle Peak Road corridor stops. Despite the low fares, the system already covers about 100 between the two towns, has been developing rapidly since the percent of its direct operating costs. Three new links have been mid-1970s under the Hong Kong government's new towns added and 30 more cars will be delivered starting in late 1992. development program to cope with rapid population growth. The operating regime is described, with the line-of-sight driving The idea of introducing an LRT system into the region that achieves this daily performance, the priority request system dated back as far as 1972, when a commercial firm proposed to obtain signals to proceed over the road junctions, experience to date, as well as plans for the future. building a circular tram route in Tuen Mun. This triggered a series of studies to determine the most appropriate transport system for the new town. A wide range of modes was initially The first phase of Hong Kong's light rail transit (LRT) system screened, ranging from minibuses, buses, street trams, a light commenced operation in September 1988, providing a fully rail system, a automated guideway system, a conventional integrated transport service for the fast-growing northwestern metro, and elevated monorail. Finally the government de region of the New Territories with a target population of cided to provide an advanced light rail system to the new 800,000 by the late 1990s. Clouded by a series of controversies towns. Apart from such advantages as independence from initially, including concerns about monopoly and safety, the fuel oil, better quality of service, and greater environmental system has gradually started to gain passenger and public compatibility, it was thought that a light rail system would recognition and has become an integral part of Hong Kong's help to promote the image of the new towns. multimodal public transport scene. In November 1983 the government invited the Kowloon Patronage on the 23-km Phase 1 system has increased about Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC), a public corporation 50 percent to average 262,000 daily (including some 37 ,000 running a passenger and freight heavy rail service, to build who traveled on bus services feeding the network) in 1991, and operate the LRT, which by that time had developed making it one of the most heavily used LRT systems in the conceptually from a Tuen Mun town system into a regional world. system for the whole northwestern New Territories, including Operated largely on its own right-of-wa/but entirely at a loop for another new town called Tin Shui Wai. grade with 56 road junctions (73 on the expanded network) In July 1984 the KCRC accepted the offer to build the LRT where the system meets other road vehicles, the system has system. KCRC was granted an exclusive right to provide the consistently been attaining excellent safety, punctuality, and major public transport services (i.e., LRT and its feeder bus reliability records. services) in the designated transit service area. On an average day over 99 percent of the 1,600 light rail In August 1985 the KCRC awarded a turnkey contract of vehicle (LRV) trips on the timetable are operated and 98.5 HK$1.1 billion to an Australian consortium of Leighton Con percent arrive at their destinations within 3 min of their sched tractors Asia Ltd. and MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority uled time. The accident rate is the lowest of all road-based of Victoria, Melbourne) to build and equip the first phase of the LRT project. Following an intense 3-year construction KCRC Light Rail Division, Depot 55-65, Tuen Mun Road, Hong period, the 23-km Phase 1 system commenced commercial Kong. service on September 18, 1988 (see Figure 1), managed and 58 TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH RECORD 1361 TinShuiWai TABLE 1 Technical Information, Tuen Mun LRT: Network Expanded Phase 1 Network" long Ping Route length (km) 23 .35 33.05 ......... ···················· ...... Roadside reservation (km) 20.00 29.30 Paved, segregated median (km) 2.25 2.25 Yuen Long Paved, street track (km) 1.10 1.50 Terminus Length of single track, excluding depot (km) 46.00 71.43 No. of signalized road crossings 56 75 No . of unsignalized road crossings 13 13 No. of stopping places 41 55 - Phase One nelWork Platform height (mm) 910 910 Platform width, usual (m) 3 314 - ·- Tuan Mun Regional Extension Platform width, min/max (m) 2/5 2/5 -··- Tin Shui Wai Extension Minimum design headway (sec) 60 60 Passenger capacity/dim/hour• 22,800 22,800 ........ Possible \uture extensions ~ "Early 1993. 2 •Based on two-car trains and standees at 6/m • /). TownCentre ·?( .."! of track with 10 stops, opened for service between November 1991 and February 1992 (see Table 1) . .....J SamShing ·. The Phase. 1 system is entirely at grade but the extensions '·· feature three LRT bridges. Over 90 percent of the system "······\ .................... ·· SoKwun Wat runs on its own right-of-way, which in Tuen Mun was formed as part of the development of the new town. As a result Ferry Pier Terminus construction work caused the minimum disturbance to the FIGURE 1 LRT network in Hong Kong's New Territories. community. The bulk of the system is fenced off to prevent pedestrian access other than at specified crossing points (largely located operated by the light rail division, one of KCRC's business adjacent to the stops) and at road junctions. divisions. SYSTEM FEATURES Track Network Standard gauge (1 ,435-mm) steel rails are used (see Table 2). The tracks are generally laid on ballast, with the exception The Phase 1 system is 23 km of double track and 41 stops. of road junctions, the section through Yuen Long town, and Three extensions to the system in Tuen Mun, totaling 5 km three small sections in Tuen Mun, two of which are the only TABLE 2 Technical Information, Tuen Mun LRT: Trackwork Phase 1 Expanded Network" Contractor Henry Boot (Far East) Balfour Beatty Ltd./Henryvicy Consortium Flat-bottomed rail Type• UIC 54 UIC 54 Supplier British Steel Sydney Steel Grooved rail Type Ri 60 (not used) Supplier Thyssen (not used) Track gauge (mm) 1435 1435 Precast concrete sleepersc F27S F27S No . of points 128 168 (Total) Supplier of points (motors/ controllers) Hanning & Kahl Hanning & Kahl No. of diamond crossings 29 38 (Total) Minimum curve radius (m) 23 23 Maximum gradient (%) 6.1 6.1 •Early 1993. "With plating for some street track. <Timber used for special work. Yu 59 parts of the system where LRVs share the same road space distributed through the LRT's own 12 rectifier stations and with other road vehicles. workshop substation (see Table 4). The maximum possible gradient on operational track is 8 The overhead line system has been designed to withstand percent, though for short distances only. In actual fact the typhoon conditions and the whole system can be supplied by steepest gradient is 6.1 percent. The maximum within the either one of the two primary substations in case one fails. depot and the yard is 0.2 percent. The majority of the rectifier stations are provided with two The grade of the track generally follows that of the adjacent 11-kV feeders forming a series of ring mains. Cables installed street. So far as reasonably practicable, the track alongside in cable troughs along the track provide the connections be platforms is straight and level. tween rectifier stations. The capacity of the rectifier trans The tracks are aligned to provide a 150-mm clearance be formers and the overhead line equipment is so designed that, tween the kinematic envelope of the vehicle and any fixed if one rectifier station fails, operation can be maintained on object, such as a building or overhead structure, adjacent to the affected section by feeding from neighboring rectifier the line.

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