Ma On Shan line
| Company type | Rapid transit |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transport |
| Predecessor | Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) |
| Founded | December 21, 2004 |
| Defunct | February 14, 2020 |
| Fate | Merged into Tuen Ma line Phase 1 |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong , Hong Kong |
Area served | Northeastern New Territories, Hong Kong |
| Owner | Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (until 2007), MTR Corporation (after 2007) |
| Parent | MTR Corporation (after 2007) |
The Ma On Shan line () was a commuter rail and rapid transit corridor within Hong Kong's MTR network. Marked in brown on the MTR system map, it functioned as a branch of the East Rail line, connecting the northeastern New Territories new towns of Sha Tin and Ma On Shan.
Initially developed by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) under the name Ma On Shan Rail (, abbreviated ), the line was incorporated into the MTR system following KCRC's operational merger with the MTR Corporation on 2 December 2007. It was subsequently merged into the Tuen Ma line Phase 1 on 14 February 2020, coinciding with the partial inauguration of the Sha Tin to Central Link, alongside the West Rail line.
Overview and current status
Construction work on the Ma On Shan line commenced on 12 February 2001, with full service launching on 21 December 2004—three days ahead of schedule. The KCRC projected construction expenses at HK$10 billion. The first train departing from Tai Wai carried over a thousand passengers, which led to a notable decline in local bus and taxi patronage; certain bus routes experienced a one-third decrease in ridership shortly after opening.
From its outset, the Ma On Shan line was planned to integrate seamlessly with the West Rail line. As part of Phase 1 of the Sha Tin to Central Link initiative, it was extended from Tai Wai to Hung Hom through East Kowloon, adding six new stations. These included interchanges with the Kwun Tong line at Diamond Hill and Ho Man Tin, a connection to the East Rail line at Hung Hom, and a new station at Hin Keng serving Sha Tin. This extension connects to the West Rail line at Hung Hom and continues northwest toward Tuen Mun via the existing West Rail route and its 2009 Kowloon Southern Link extension. Due to delays, initial service reached only Kai Tak station on 14 February 2020, with the segment to Hung Hom opening later on 27 June 2021.
Following the launch of Tuen Ma line Phase 1 on 14 February 2020, the Ma On Shan line was merged into this new route along with three additional stations: Hin Keng, Diamond Hill, and Kai Tak. Although technically still operational, the designation "Ma On Shan line" is no longer in active use.
To accommodate the combined Tuen Ma line, platform extensions were carried out on former Ma On Shan line stations between 2014 and 2016 to support eight-car SP1900 and East West line C-trains. Automatic platform gates supplied by Gilgen Door Systems (Nabtesco Corporation) were installed from 2014 through 2017. Furthermore, signalling technology was upgraded from SelTrac IS to SelTrac Communications-based train control (CBTC) to enhance operational performance for the extended service.
Stations
Below is a list of stations that were part of the Ma On Shan line.
| Livery and Station Name | Connections | Opening date | District | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Chinese | ||||
| Wu Kai Sha | 烏溪沙 | 21 December 2004 | Sha Tin | ||
| Ma On Shan | 馬鞍山 | ||||
| Heng On | 恆安 | ||||
| Tai Shui Hang | 大水坑 | ||||
| Shek Mun | 石門 | ||||
| City One | 第一城 | ||||
| Sha Tin Wai | 沙田圍 | ||||
| Che Kung Temple | 車公廟 | ||||
| Tai Wai | 大圍 | Template:Rcb | |||