Island line (MTR)
| Company type | Rapid transit |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transport |
| Founded | May 31, 1985 |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong , Hong Kong |
Area served | Hong Kong Island |
| Owner | MTR Corporation |
| Website | www |
The Island line () is among the ten lines comprising Hong Kong's rapid transit network operated by the MTR. Stretching from Kennedy Town in the Western District to Chai Wan in the Eastern District on Hong Kong Island, it links key commercial centers such as Central, Wan Chai, and Causeway Bay with the heavily populated northern coastal neighborhoods.
Commencing operations on 31 May 1985, the line spans in roughly 25 minutes and serves 17 stations. It is depicted in Blue on the official MTR route diagram.
History
Initial planning for this line dates back to studies conducted in 1967 and 1970, originally envisioning a route from Kennedy Town to Chai Wan. However, the segment connecting Sheung Wan to Kennedy Town was eventually excluded.
In December 1980, the Hong Kong Government authorized construction of the Island line, deciding against extending the tram system eastward to reach Chai Wan.
The Island line officially opened on 31 May 1985 with six-car trains running between Admiralty and Chai Wan. The inauguration event at Tai Koo station was led by MTR chairman Sir Wilfrid Newton alongside Governor of Hong Kong Sir Edward Youde, who jointly unveiled commemorative plaques.
On 23 May 1986, service was extended westward to Central and Sheung Wan, establishing Admiralty and Central as interchange stations with the Tsuen Wan line. This expansion also involved lengthening trains to eight cars.
Quarry Bay Congestion Relief
After the Kwun Tong line was extended through the Eastern Harbour Crossing to Quarry Bay station on 1 October 1989, Quarry Bay became an interchange with the Island line. However, it lacked a cross-platform interchange design, requiring passengers to navigate two escalators and a long corridor, which led to significant crowding issues.
To mitigate this problem, authorities launched the Quarry Bay Congestion Relief Works, which involved enlarging North Point station to function as a second interchange point with the Kwun Tong line. Construction commenced in July 1998.
The North Point interchange began operation on 27 September 2001, introducing a cross-platform transfer that reduced connection times from five minutes at Quarry Bay to less than one minute. Subsequently, on 4 August 2002, both North Point and Quarry Bay stations became interchanges with the new Tseung Kwan O line, which assumed control over the harbour crossing segment previously served by the Kwun Tong line.
Western extension
In 2002, MTR Corporation proposed a HK$300 million investment for constructing both West and South Island lines, contingent upon receiving government funding support. The initial blueprint included extending the Island line westward to Kennedy Town; however, progress was delayed due to land reclamation complexities and financial uncertainties. The current Southern District lines incorporate sections of this planned western extension. To finalize station placements for Sai Ying Pun, Shek Tong Tsui, and Kennedy Town along the West Island line, MTRC conducted surveys and public consultations.
Construction work for the western extension reaching Kennedy Town started in 2009 and officially opened on 28 December 2014. This marked the first direct heavy rail link serving Hong Kong Island's western district. Alongside this extension, Sai Ying Pun and HKU stations were inaugurated; however, Sai Ying Pun station opened later on 29 March 2015.
Rolling stock
| Rolling stock of the MTR Island line | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Manufacturer | Production years | Number of sets | Car formation | Remarks |
| M-Train | Metro-Cammell | 1977–1986, 1989–1995 | 24 | A-C+D+B-C+D+C-A | |
| Q-Train | CRRC Qingdao Sifang | 2017–present | 14 | A-C-B+B-C+B-C-A | |
| Previous rolling stock | |||||
| Model | Manufacturer | Production years | Number of sets | Car formation | Remarks |
| K-Train | Rotem and Mitsubishi | 2001–2002 | N/A | A-C-B+B-C+B-C-A | currently deployed on Tseung Kwan O line |
Route description
Due to limited available surface area, the Island line predominantly runs deep underground within circular tunnels beneath major thoroughfares. After Shau Kei Wan, the railway emerges above ground at Heng Fa Chuen and proceeds along a viaduct adjacent to Shing Tai Road until reaching Chai Wan.
The original subterranean alignment closely follows the route of the Hong Kong Tramways at street level, which was maintained as a cost-efficient backup option despite initial plans for its removal.
Most underground stations have curved platform walls conforming to the cylindrical tunnel shape; notable exceptions are Tai Koo station with its large tube design, Sai Ying Pun and HKU stations featuring tube-like station boxes, and cut-and-cover stations such as Shau Kei Wan, Admiralty, Central, and Kennedy Town.
These curved platforms result in significant platform gaps except at West Island line stations and North Point, Quarry Bay, Tai Koo, Heng Fa Chuen, and Chai Wan. Owing to topographical constraints, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Tin Hau, and Sai Wan Ho have platforms arranged on two levels linked by passageways and lengthy escalators.
Chinese calligraphy is incorporated into the interior design of all Island line stations except Heng Fa Chuen and Chai Wan. This artistic feature aims to alleviate the psychological impact caused by narrow curved platforms while enhancing each station’s unique identity. The above-ground Heng Fa Chuen and Chai Wan stations do not include this element; however, similar calligraphy appears in newer MTR stations such as those on the Tseung Kwan O line and Lam Tin station.
Stations
Below is a compilation of the stations served by the Island line.
Station list
| Livery | Station name | Images | Interchange; Nearby transport |
Opening date | District | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Chinese | |||||||
| Island Line (ISL) | ||||||||
| Kennedy Town | 堅尼地城 | — | 28 December 2014; 11 years ago |
Central and Western | ||||
| HKU | 香港大學 | Template:Rcb (planned) | ||||||
| Sai Ying Pun | 西營盤 | — | 29 March 2015; 11 years ago | |||||
| Sheung Wan | 上環 | 23 May 1986; 40 years ago | ||||||
| Central[lower-alpha 1] | 中環 | Template:Rcb Template:Rint Hong Kong: Template:Rcb Template:Rcb |
12 February 1980; 46 years ago[lower-alpha 2] | |||||
| Livery | Station name | Chinese | Images | Interchange/Adjacent transport | Opening date | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admiralty | 金鐘 | {{plainlist|
|
rowspan=11 |31 May 1985; 41 years ago |
rowspan=3 |Wan Chai District | ||
| 'Wan Chai' | 灣仔 | [lower-alpha 3] | ||||
| 'Causeway Bay' | 銅鑼灣 | data-sort-value="" style="vertical-align:middle; text-align:center" class="table-na" | — | ||||
| 'Tin Hau' | 天后 | data-sort-value="" style="vertical-align:middle; text-align:center" class="table-na" | — | ||||
| 'Fortress Hill' | 炮台山 | rowspan=8 |Eastern District, Hong Kong | ||||
| 'North Point' | 北角 | rowspan=2 Template:Rcb | ||||
| 'Quarry Bay' | 鰂魚涌 | |||||
| 'Tai Koo' | 太古 | data-sort-value="" style="vertical-align:middle; text-align:center" class="table-na" | — | ||||
| 'Sai Wan Ho' | 西灣河 | |||||
| 'Shau Kei Wan' | 筲箕灣 | data-sort-value="" style="vertical-align:middle; text-align:center" class="table-na" | — | ||||
| 'Heng Fa Chuen' | 杏花邨 | |||||
| 'Chai Wan' | 柴灣 |
Planned expansions
There is a proposal to extend the Island line further eastward, introducing a new station at Siu Sai Wan station.
Related topics
References
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