System MTR Electrification 1.5 kV DC | Stations 3 | |
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Type Heavy rail (rapid transit) Opened 28 December 2014 (HKU and Kennedy Town)
29 March 2015 (Sai Ying Pun) Track gauge 1,432 mm (4 ft 8 ⁄8 in) Locale Central and Western District (Districts) Terminis Sheung Wan Station, Kennedy Town Station | ||
mtr west island line
The West Island Line is the three-station western extension of the Hong Kong MTR's Island Line. Construction of the line began on 10 August 2009, and the two westernmost stations on line opened on 28 December 2014; the intermediary Sai Ying Pun Station opened on 29 March 2015. The first train went into service that day at 6:00 a.m. Hong Kong time.
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Initial proposals
The MTR Corporation Limited (MTRC) submitted its first proposal for the West Island line in May 2002. This was similar to the final alignment, with stations at Sai Ying Pun, Belcher and Kennedy Town. In revisions in 2003 and 2004, the West Island Line became its own line, which would interchange with the Island Line at Sheung Wan or Sai Ying Pun. On 28 May 2004, planning for the line was deferred.
Final scheme
On 25 February 2005, the Panel of Transport of Legislative Council had a meeting discussing West and South Island Line. MTR had submitted a revised scheme on 22 February and an introduction to the scheme was conducted in the meeting.
In the scheme, West Island Line included only the extension to Island Line. The rest became the west section of South Island Line. The new West Island Line would run from Sheung Wan to Kennedy Town:
The scheme was gazetted in October 2007 and given final authorisation in March 2009. Construction of the 3-kilometre extension started on 10 August 2009, for completion in 2014. The cost of the line is estimated to be HK$15.4 billion.
Construction cost
According to the summary report of the new lines, the construction cost of the West Island Line would be HK$15.4 billion (as at Dec 2008). MTR asked for government funding of less than half of the total cost. The remaining cost and the operational cost would be covered by MTR.