South Island line

This article is about the east section of MTR South Island Line which will open in December 2016. For the proposed west section, see South Island Line (West).

Template:HK-MTR route title
Overview
Locale	Districts: Central and Western, Southern
Termini	Admiralty South Horizons
Stations	5
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	MTR
History
Planned opening	28 December 2016 (2016-12-28)
Technical
Line length	7 km (4.3 mi)
Track gauge	1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in) or 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Route map East Rail line to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau Tsuen Wan line Central – Tsuen Wan Admiralty                Island line Kennedy Town – Chai Wan Nam Fung Tunnel Ocean Park Wong Chuk Hang Depot Wong Chuk Hang South Island line (West) to HKU Aberdeen Channel Bridge Lei Tung South Horizons

The South Island Line, known during construction as the South Island Line (East) is a future extension of the Hong Kong MTR metro system. The extension will serve the Southern District of Hong Kong Island, which at present is not serviced by any rail transport.

Approved by the Executive Council of Hong Kong in 2007, the line has completed construction and will commence service on 28 December 2016.

History

Main article: History of the South Island Line and West Island Line

The initial proposal for the line was in 2002, and went through a number of changes, at times combined with the West Island Line and South Island Line (West).

Rolling stock

A medium capacity system will be used. The final order for rolling stock for the new line consists of 10 new 3-car MTR_CNR_Changchun_EMUs using steel wheels. These trains are externally similar to the existing sets in service on the Kwun Tong Line, but will be fully automatic and driverless, being the second such line after the Disneyland Resort Line. They will operate with a frequency of three minutes during rush hour, and although stations on the new lines will be shorter than existing stations on other lines, they can be expanded as ridership demand increases.

Alignment and stations

The east section runs on the same alignment of option B in Revised Alignment Scheme, with Happy Valley Station omitted: The following is a list of the stations on the South Island Line.

Livery and name		District	Connections	Opening date
colspan="5" style="border-top:5px solid #Template:HK-MTR color; border-bottom:5px solid #Template:HK-MTR color;"| South Island Line (East)
	Admiralty	Central and Western	Template:HK-MTR box, Template:HK-MTR box and Template:HK-MTR box (2021)	12 February 1980
	Ocean Park	Wong Chuk Hang		28th December 2016
	Wong Chuk Hang		Template:HK-MTR box (proposed)
	Lei Tung	Ap Lei Chau
	South Horizons

A 3-car trial run S-Train is approaching Wong Chuk Hang Station

South Island Line viaduct near Holy Spirit Seminary

Construction

Construction progress

Project Agreements and Entrustment Agreement for MTR South Island Line and the Kwun Tong Line Extension was signed by Hong Kong government and MTR Corporation on 18 May 2011. In 2012 August, Drill and Blast work began for constructing the Nam Fung Tunnel, a tunnel between Admiralty and Ocean Park Station. On 9 December 2013, Structural work for Ocean Park Station was completed as the first of South Island Line. The first 3-car trainset, named S-train arrived MTR Siu Ho Wan Depot. In 2014, whole project was 78% completed on late September and Nam Fung Tunnel broke through on 17 October. In 2015, trial run has begun between Wong Chuk Hang and South Horizon Station. 84% of construction work was completed by the end of February. Work in Lei Tung Station was prolong by geological issue, but it will not postpone the line opening.

Delayed opening

Expansion work of Admiralty Station as at November 2016. Underneath is building new concourse and platforms of South Island Line and Sha Tin to Central Link.The Harcourt Garden will be restored as a podium garden after the completion of the work.

The commencement of South Island Line was originally 2015. On 21 May 2014, a informant told Apple Daily that the commencement date of South Island Line (East) will postpone one year and half. MTR asserted it would be opened as expected. Yet, Transport and Housing Bureau revealed the delay of construction work and demanded MTR to review the commencement. Members of the Legislative Council and District Council criticize MTR hiding the progress to the public. They would demand a progress report on Councils meeting. Eight days later on South District Council meeting, MTR announced the delay was caused by the expansion work of Admiralty Station. High-density building, underground public facilities and the existing Admiralty Station are prolonging the work progress as safety come first. But they still asserted the work could be completed in 2015. In November 2014, a revised opening date on December 2016 was announced.

In October 2016, MTR Corporation chairman Frederick Ma warned that the opening of the South Island Line may be delayed by three months. Yet, on 10 November 2016, chairman Ma announced the South Island Line will open by the end of 2016, saying the engineer team overcomed the many challenges in connecting an additional line to the already busy Admiralty station. Finally, MTR chief executive Lincoln Leong officially declare the South Island Line will begin operation on 28th December 2016.

Interchange stations

At Wong Chuk Hang, originally the platform structure was to be a double island platform with three tracks (like the platform structure on Choi Hung Station). West Section trains use the center track while East Section trains use those on the two sides. A convenient cross-platform interchange can be made in both directions. However, according to the new plan, the West section platform will be only built over those in the east section.

At Admiralty, a new island platform has been built under Queensway. Transfer passages connect the new station with the existing station and the platforms of the future Sha Tin to Central Link rail project.

See also

• Future projects of the MTR

Further reading

Papers from Government and Legislature

• "Second Railway Development Study (RDS-2)" (PDF). From Highways Department Hong Kong. Retrieved 27 February 2005.
• "Information paper about the Feb 2005 scheme" (PDF). From Panel of Transport, Legislative Council. 21 February 2005. Retrieved 27 February 2005.
• "Background brief on Route 4, South Hong Kong Island Line and West Hong Kong Island Line" (PDF). From Panel of Transport, Legislative Council. 21 February 2005. Retrieved 27 February 2005.
• "Presentation of Feb 2005 scheme by MTR" (PDF). From Panel of Transport, Legislative Council. 25 February 2005. Retrieved 5 March 2005.

Press releases

• "MTR Corporation welcomes Government's decision on West Island Line and South Island Line" (PDF).. (30 June 2005). From MTR Corporation.
• http://www.mtr-southislandline.hk/pdf/press-release/26022014_pr_e.pdf

External links

• MTR West Island Line and South Island Line Introduction
• Papers from Legislative Council concerning West Island Line and South Island Line