Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MTR: FUN FACTS, FAST FICTION
Hong Kong's MTR stations are colour-coded and colourfully storied.
Pla
Platform de
m desiign Colour-coding adds personality to drab underground environments
and enables passengers on crowded trains to quickly locate themselves. The most
chromatically interesting stations are on the Kwun Tong Line. Kowloon Tong is light
blue - 'Tong' means 'pool'. Wong Tai Sin takes 'wong' or 'yellow'. Diamond Hill is char-
coal flecked with silver. Navy with rainbow stripes stands for Choi Hung ('rainbow').
Lai Chi Kok on the Tsuen Wan Line is orange-red because that's the colour of a ripe ly-
chee ('lai chi'). Interchange stations, Central and Mong Kok, sport eye-catching red.
Callig
alligrapphy Platforms on the Island Line, which tend to be less spacious, show the sta-
tion names in ancient Chinese script. The graceful calligraphy is supposed to have a
soothing effect on waiting passengers.
Anciient s
t suuperstiitiion Traditional Chinese are apprehensive about digging activities be-
cause spirits are believed to reside underground. When the MTR was commissioning
its construction in the 1970s, many local companies refused to bid. Like other high-
risk industries in Hong Kong, construction has an informal code of ethics based on su-
perstition.
HHauuntedd? Ghost stories about the MTR abound. A woman in a red dress is said to
have leapt onto the tracks in Yau Ma Tei, but no corpse could be found. There are tales
of children playing in the tunnel between Lai King and Mei Foo, vanishing just when the
train hits them; and a victim of an industrial accident in white overalls, dangling his
legs from a swing made from a high-pressure electric cable between Choi Hung and
Kowloon Bay. Staff lit incense, offered apologies, and he was never seen again.
Train
There are 84 stations on nine underground and overland lines, and a Light Rail network that
covers the northwest New Territories. Smoking, eating and drinking are not permitted in
MTR stations or on the trains, and violators are subject to a fine of HK$5000.
Departures
Trains run every two to 14 minutes from around 6am to sometime between
midnight and 1am.
Fares
Tickets cost HK$4 to HK$25, but trips to stations bordering mainland China (Lo Wu
and Lok Ma Chau) can cost up to HK$50. Children aged between three and 11 years and
seniors over 65 pay half-fare. Ticket machines accept notes and coins and dispense change.
