Hong Kong Metro: business hours, stations

Hong Kong is a huge metropolis. And quite often, to get from one end of the city to another, you have to use several modes of transport. But the most popular is the underground. We suggest that you learn more about Hong Kong Metro, as well as get acquainted with some tips that help not get lost in underground transportation.

general information

The Hong Kong subway began its work almost forty years ago - in 1979. It quickly became the most popular public transport of the city. To date, about half of metropolitan residents use the metro every day - about 4.2 million people.

Metropolitan is a huge network of railway transport, which includes suburban routes and the metro itself. It has a common name - Mass Transit Railway, or, abbreviatedly, MTR.

Stations

To date, the Hong Kong Metro has 84 stations. They are scattered all over the city, which makes it easy to get to anywhere. Subway stations in Hong Kong are signed with a hieroglyph, which is indicated by the letter "F". They are located directly on the streets and even in the buildings of large shops and offices.

In total, there are 9 lines: East, Kunthon, Chyunwang, Island, Tunchhong, Chongkuanou, Disneyland, Western, Maonsan.

Also there is a line leading to the airport.

Fare, tickets

In the Hong Kong subway there are three types of tickets: octopus-card, one-time and tourist.

Octopus card is a contactless card, which you can not take out of your wallet, but you just need to bring an accessory to the reader for the passage in the metro. The balance is displayed on the turnstile, as is the cost of the trip. The card can be replenished independently. If you do not need it anymore, but you have money left on it, you need to deposit it in the subway counter and get the money back. It is noteworthy that an octopus card can be paid not only in the metro, but also in shops and cafes.

A one-time ticket costs from 4 HKD to 26HKD and depends on the route of your trip and its distance. It operates only one trip and when you exit the turnstile it takes it from you.

The tourist ticket is divided into an adult, which costs 55 HKD at the ticket offices of the subway or 52 HKD when buying through the Internet, and for a child, the cost of which is 25 HKD. It is valid one month for trips on all lines, except for the route to the airport.

You can buy a ticket at the ticket office or in the ticket machine. The latter are fairly simple to use. You just need to select the necessary station and pay the cost of the trip, which you will see on the screen.

Prices for travel are not fixed, but vary by zone. The further the zone from the center of Hong Kong is located, the more expensive the route will cost. Free travel is allowed for children up to three years. It is interesting that this is determined not by the date of birth, but by growth. At each station near the turnstiles there is a giraffe line, where the growth of a 3-year-old child is recorded. If the baby is not above the mark, then he can go for free.

Inside the metro

You can go down to the platforms by stairs or on an escalator. It is noteworthy that the handrails of the latter are processed every hour by a special compound that disinfects them. And every five steps there is a reminder in the form of a foot about where it is right and safe to stand. By the way, long transitions are equipped with special moving belts - travallators.

Inside the stations and in the cars themselves, the air conditioning system is very well established. It's not only cool, but clean. The cleanliness of the platforms and wagons is carefully monitored by subway workers. In addition, people are called to order. For this, there are rules prohibiting eating and drinking in the metro. This is constantly reminded of numerous scoreboards. Next to them are bags that can hide uneaten food or a drink that has not been drunk. Garbage can be thrown in special garbage containers, which are delimited by type of waste.

Also on platforms are taken care of safety. All stations are equipped with a special protective glass, which also reduces the noise level of the rolling stock. Thanks to this, the Hong Kong subway is one of the most silent in the world. When the train arrived on the platform, the glass doors open. By the way, the cars themselves are quiet enough.

On each platform there are lights, where information about the direction of the train and the time of its arrival is displayed. Inside the train wagons there is a light map of the whole metro with the movement of the convoy. At the entrance to the station light bulbs. Visual information is duplicated by speech in Chinese and English.

In the transitions there are many signs with information about the direction, which helps to easily navigate the metro. The text is also available in two languages. Each exit, which is a few at any station, is indicated by a Latin letter and a tablet with a description of where it leads, as well as photographs of the sights located at the top. Very interesting is the way the Avenue of Stars (Hong Kong). East Tsim Sha Tsui Metro Station is decorated with photographs of local monuments and attractions.

Particular attention in the Hong Kong metro is given to people with disabilities. Here, each station and passage are equipped with special elevators and turnstiles, which are wider than usual and allow people in wheelchairs to travel freely. For those who do not see anything well or badly, tactile paths are provided in the metro. Also there are ticket machines that issue a characteristic signal about their whereabouts, and all buttons are provided with text for the blind and when pressed they are accompanied by voice speech.

Metro hours

From the traffic jams and weather conditions does not depend on the schedule for the Hong Kong metro. Opening hours start at 5:30 or 6 am and last until 1 o'clock in the morning. Works underground seven days a week all year round.

During rush hours, which occur from 8:30 to 9 am and from 18 to 19 trains run at a frequency of about five minutes.

Interesting facts about the Hong Kong Metro

At each Hong Kong metro station, there is free Wi-Fi and there are terminals with free internet. This is convenient not only for local residents, but also for tourists.

The metro line, which can be reached at Disneyland, is quite original. The wagon windows are shaped like the head of Mickey Mouse. And the trains themselves are automated, and not controlled by the machinists.

A special pleasant moment exists for people following the route Kowloon (Kowloon) or Hong Kong (Hong Kong) - Airport. The subway pleases not only a cheaper trip than a taxi. At these stations, you can register for your flight and even hand over your luggage. As a result, you will go to the airport with hand luggage, and you can get there in 20 minutes. Trains in this direction go every 12 minutes.