Sha Tin to Central Link
| Company type | Public infrastructure project |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong , Hong Kong |
Area served | Hong Kong |
Key people | Frank Chan (Secretary for Transport & Housing) |
| Products | Heavy rail transit extension |
| Parent | MTR Corporation |
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1960s | British consultancy Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith & Associates proposed predecessor East Kowloon line |
| 2000 | Sha Tin to Central Link introduced in the government's Railway Development Strategy 2000 |
| 2002 | KCRC secured contract to construct SCL, planning an independent Tai Wai to Central West route |
| 2005 | KCRC updated plan: East Kowloon segment integrated with Ma On Shan Rail at Tai Wai and West Rail at Hung Hom; East Rail extended to Central West. MTRC suggested Kwun Tong Line extension plus a new Tai Wai-Central West line. |
| 2006 | MTR–KCR merger confirmed; SCL construction to follow KCRC's 2005 design; Kwun Tong extension also included |
| 2007 | Completion of MTR–KCR merger |
| 2008 | MTRC revealed government-funded revised scheme |
| 2012 | Executive Council granted approval to commence construction |
| 2015 | Arrival of first rolling stock for East West line |
| 2016 | Launch of Kwun Tong line extension; East West line tunnel breakthrough achieved |
| 2018 | Allegations regarding construction standards at Hung Hom station prompted appointment of Commission of Inquiry |
| 2019 | Opening of SCL delayed; Phase 1 divided into Tuen Ma line stages due to Hung Hom complications; Ma On Shan line renamed Tuen Ma line Phase 1. |
The Sha Tin to Central Link (SCL; ) represents a significant enlargement of Hong Kong's MTR heavy rail system. It is composed of two principal segments, each extending vital heavy rail routes to enhance network connectivity.
The initial segment, known as "Tuen Ma line (Phase 1)", links Tai Wai station in the New Territories with Hung Hom station in Kowloon, merging the former Ma On Shan line with the West Rail line into the newly formed Tuen Ma line. Service commenced between Tai Wai and Kai Tak on 14 February 2020, followed by the Kai Tak to Hung Hom section opening on 27 June 2021.
Alongside this, the existing Kwun Tong line was extended from Yau Ma Tei to Whampoa, incorporating a new interchange at Ho Man Tin station connecting with the Tuen Ma line. This extension was inaugurated on 23 October 2016 but is treated as a separate project from the main SCL development.
The second segment (Phase 2) expanded the East Rail line from Hung Hom across the harbour to Admiralty on Hong Kong Island via a newly established Exhibition Centre station. This extension began full operation on 15 May 2022, further unifying Hong Kong’s heavy rail network.
History
The Sha Tin to Central Link’s alignment roughly mirrors the original East Kowloon line concept from the late 1960s, which was never realized. It was designated a Priority Railway Scheme within Hong Kong's Railway Development Strategy published in 2000.
On 25 June 2002, the government awarded construction and operation rights for the link to the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC), envisioning an extension from Tai Wai station to Central West station beneath Mid-Levels, connecting with the under-construction Ma On Shan Rail.
In 2005, KCRC revised its plan: integrating the East Kowloon segment with Ma On Shan Rail at Tai Wai and West Rail at Hung Hom, including a cross-harbour connection linking East Rail at Hung Hom. The proposal involved relocating Mong Kok Station via a new tunnel to a deeper platform at Hung Hom. Stations planned for Tsz Wan Shan and Whampoa Garden were dropped and replaced by Automated People Movers (APMs) serving these districts. This proposal did not reach final approval.
Concurrently, MTR Corporation (MTRC) submitted an alternative plan extending the Kwun Tong line from Yau Ma Tei to Whampoa station—addressing Whampoa Garden’s exclusion by KCRC—and proposed following KCRC’s original alignment rather than the revised one from 2005. MTRC also planned an underground depot beneath the former Kai Tak Airport passenger terminal near Prince Edward Road East; however, government redevelopment plans in 2006 necessitated relocating this depot elsewhere.
MTR–KCR merger plan
On 11 April 2006, a non-binding memorandum of understanding was signed by MTRC and the Hong Kong government, which owns KCRC, aiming to consolidate the two railway systems in the region. The integration would see the MTR lines fully incorporated with the Shatin to Central Link, becoming an integral part of the MTR network. The government intended to move forward with KCRC's revised plan to extend the East Rail line to Hong Kong Island, subject to further collaboration and study with MTRC.
The combined proposal was unveiled on 12 July 2007, ahead of the merger scheduled for 2 December. The depot for the Sha Tin to Central Link was planned beneath the former Tai Hom Village site, located between Kai Tak and Diamond Hill stations. Due to concerns over construction-related traffic disruptions, people movers were eliminated from the plan and Causeway Bay North station was removed.
On 11 March 2008, MTRC updated its proposal. The government pledged full financial support amounting to HK$37.4 billion for the project's construction phase. In March 2012, the Executive Council gave approval for a total budget of HK$79.8 billion, with construction officially starting on 22 June 2012. The former Hung Hom Freight Yard beside Hung Hom Station was repurposed into stabling sidings for trains operating on the Sha Tin to Central Link, connected via newly constructed access tracks. Due to a shortage of suitable locations, Central South Station was omitted from the plan. Hin Keng Station was subsequently included to help alleviate passenger congestion at Tai Wai.
Anticipated start and completion
Initially, Phase 1 was planned to be finished by 2018, with Phase 2 slated for completion around 2020 or 2021. Some construction activities for Phase 2 took place after the conclusion of the Wan Chai Reclamation Phase 2 and the Central–Wan Chai Bypass projects, due to overlapping work on stations and tunnels. In November 2014, the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Anthony Cheung, revealed an 11-month postponement caused by archaeological excavations at To Kwa Wan (now known as Sung Wong Toi station) alongside extra preparatory work at Exhibition Centre station linked to topside development. Consequently, the authority revised its timeline, targeting completion of Phases 1 and 2 in 2019 and 2021 respectively.
Additional setbacks arose from construction quality concerns at Hung Hom station. In January 2020, Frank Chan, Secretary for Transport & Housing, announced that the first phase of the Tuen Ma line would commence operations on 14 February 2020, with the entire Tuen Ma line expected to be operational by June 2021. The MTR Corporation projected that extensions of the East Rail line would open by mid-2022, though this schedule remained subject to revision.
On 3 May 2022, MTR formally announced that the East Rail Line extension would begin service on 15 May 2022.
Hung Hom station construction controversy
In 2018, a whistleblower exposed subpar workmanship at Hung Hom station, revealing that threaded steel bars intended for connection were cut short to fit couplers without full engagement. This raised serious doubts regarding the structural soundness of the platforms. Initially refuting these allegations, both MTR and contractor Leighton Asia later acknowledged deviations from standards and suggested removing concrete sections in affected areas for thorough inspection.
Subsequent investigations uncovered further deficiencies in quality control and missing documentation; notably, approximately 40% of Request for Inspection and Survey Check forms related to northern approach tunnels were unaccounted for. These findings led to intensified government scrutiny of multiple Shatin to Central Link construction sites amid broader engineering irregularities.
New railway routes and tunnel works
The East-West Corridor's 11-kilometre tunnel was completed by August 2016.
By February 2017, tunneling and construction advanced between Exhibition Centre station and Causeway Bay as well as between Causeway Bay and Kowloon. To facilitate tunnel assembly, MTR Corporation established an Immersed Tube Tunnel Casting Yard at the former Shek O Quarry on Hong Kong Island. Tunnel sections were prefabricated here before being transported via sea routes and installed underwater. By June 2017, installation of the initial Immersed Tube Tunnel segments in Victoria Harbour marked the commencement of the fourth harbour-crossing railway tunnel project. A total of eleven tube units are planned for this harbour crossing.
Upgraded signalling technologies and station enhancements
Both new corridors incorporate state-of-the-art signalling systems as part of the Sha Tin to Central Link initiative. The East-West Corridor employs Thales’ SelTrac CBTC technology, representing an advancement over the previously installed SelTrac IS system on related lines. Existing SP1900 trains are being upgraded with new onboard computers to support eight-car formations, complemented by newly procured eight-car trains already equipped with updated systems. Platform safety features vary: stations along the Ma On Shan line utilize half-height platform gates, whereas new underground stations are fitted with full-height platform screen doors.
On the North-South Corridor, Siemens’ Trainguard MT CBTC replaces legacy TBL train protection and Alstom ATO systems on the East Rail line. Platforms have been modified with half-height gates (and full-height gates at newly constructed underground stations) to facilitate level boarding and minimize platform gaps. These signalling upgrades are accompanied by station refurbishments and platform expansions.
Key interchange hubs—Admiralty, Diamond Hill, and Hung Hom stations—have undergone enlargement or relocation to manage increased passenger volumes following full line integration.
Updated rolling stock
The East West Corridor operates with a combination of both newly introduced and pre-existing trains, whereas the North South Corridor has completely replaced its previous fleet with brand-new trainsets.
- The contract 1141A, awarded in December 2013 to CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles, covers the supply of 17 eight-car C-Trains for the East West Corridor. These trains were designed within a 14-month period, with the inaugural unit arriving in Hong Kong by June 2016 and commencing service on the Ma On Shan Line in March 2017.
- Contract 1141B, granted to Hyundai Rotem in December 2012, involves 37 nine-car R-trains designated for the North South Corridor. Deliveries started in 2015, and by 2020 all units were operational, fully supplanting the retired 12-car Metro Cammell EMUs.
- In January 2014, contract 1151 was awarded to Kinki Sharyo to supply 36 additional SP1900 cars. This enabled the conversion of all SP1900 trains into eight-car sets for use on the East West Corridor, replacing their former four-, seven-, and twelve-car arrangements.
New community amenities
Due to its considerable depth, Tsz Wan Shan station was excluded from the final plan in 2007. Instead, pedestrian infrastructure including lifts, travelators, and sheltered walkways will be constructed to link the Tsz Wan Shan area with Diamond Hill station.
On Hong Kong Island, following demolition for the Exhibition Centre station project, both Wan Chai Swimming Pool and Harbour Road Sports Centre were relocated and rebuilt at alternative sites.
The International Mail Centre operated by Hongkong Post in Hung Hom was demolished to make way for the line’s development and subsequently reconstructed in Kowloon Bay as the Central Mail Centre.
Route
Starting from Tai Wai station on the existing Ma On Shan line, the Tuen Ma line proceeds southward along an embankment to Hin Keng station before tunneling southeast towards Kowloon. Beyond Diamond Hill station, it veers southwest through Ma Tau Chung and To Kwa Wan en route to Hung Hom station, where it connects with the Kwun Tong line extension at Ho Man Tin. At Hung Hom, the East West Corridor links just south of its new platforms to the West Rail line and also provides interchange with the East Rail line.
The East Rail line extension branches north of Hung Hom near the Princess Margaret Road tunnel entrance; it then enters a tunnel leading to new platforms at Hung Hom that facilitate transfers with the Tuen Ma line. From there, it traverses Victoria Harbour via an immersed tube tunnel running parallel to the Cross-Harbour Tunnel before continuing west beneath New Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter toward Exhibition Centre and Admiralty stations.
Completed in late 2016, the Kwun Tong line extension runs southeast from Yau Ma Tei to Ho Man Tin for interchange with the Tuen Ma line. It then proceeds under Wuhu Street and Tak On Street, terminating at a single dead-end platform at Whampoa station.
Stations
| Livery and name | District | Connections | Opening date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| colspan=5 style="border-top:solid 5px #Template:Rcr; border-bottom:solid 5px #Template:Rcr;"| Tuen Ma line | ||||
| ↑ Tuen Ma line towards Wu Kai Sha | ||||
| Kai Tak | Kowloon City | 14 February 2020 | ||
| Sung Wong Toi | 27 June 2021 | |||
| To Kwa Wan | ||||
| Ho Man Tin | Template:Rcb | 23 October 2016 | ||
| Hung Hom | Yau Tsim Mong | Template:Rcb Through Train services to Mainland China |
30 November 1975 relocated on 20 June 2021 | |
| ↓ Tuen Ma line towards Tuen Mun | ||||
| colspan=2 style="border-top:solid 5px #Template:Rcr; border-bottom:solid 5px #Template:Rcr;" | East Rail line extension | District | Connections | Opening date |
|---|
| ↑ East Rail line towards Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau |
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| Livery | Station | District | Connections | Opening date |
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| Livery | Station | District | Connections | Opening date |
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| Livery | Station | District | Connections | Opening date |
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| Livery | Station | District | Connections | Opening date |
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| Livery | Station | District | Connections | Opening date |
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| Livery | Station | District | Connections | Opening date |
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| Livery | Station | District | Connections | Opening date |
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| !Livery | Station | District | Connections | Opening Date |
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| !Livery | Station | District | Connections | -style = "text-align : center" | style = "background:#CCCCCC;" | Yau Ma Tei | Yau Tsim Mong District | -style = "text-align : center" | style = "background:#EEF198;" | Ho Man Tin | Kowloon City District | 23 October 2016 |-style = "text-align : center" | style = "background:#AECFF0;" | Whampoa | -}
NamingOriginally, the station now known as Sung Wong Toi was designated as To Kwa Wan station, while the station called To Kwa Wan was initially named Ma Tau Wai station. This caused local discontent because the station formerly labeled To Kwa Wan was not actually situated within the To Kwa Wan area. In response, MTR revised the station names and disclosed these adjustments during the 2017 Transport Panel meeting of the Legislative Council. References |
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