Hong Kong’s rail network is set to get an upgrade over the next 20 years. The Transport and Logistics Bureau have planned to build 12 railway lines and extensions and construct more than 30 new stations as part of the Major Transport Infrastructure Development Blueprint. The new stations and lines will improve connectivity within the city, reduce commuting time, and make travel to Mainland China via Shenzhen easier. We take a look at the new projects in the works and planning stages.
Hong Kong Island
While plans to build the North Island Line that was first proposed in 2014 have been shelved for now, there will be more MTR connections within Hong Kong Island and to connect it to Lantau Island, the New Territories, and Shenzhen.
Hong Kong Island West-Northeast Lantau Link
This railway line will link the HKU MTR Station to the planned Hung Shui Kiu station on the Tuen Ma Line. Trains on this route will stop at the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands, Sunny Bay, and Tuen Mun East and terminate at the Hung Shui Kiu station, allowing passengers in these areas to get to the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link.
Length: 13 km
New stations: 2
Expected completion: 2034-2038
South Island Line (West)
The proposed extension of the South Island Line will add five more MTR stations between Wong Chuk Hang and HKU: Aberdeen, Tin Wan, Wah Fu, Cyberport, and Queen Mary Hospital, before terminating at HKU Station on the Island Line. Passengers can then head to Shenzhen via the Hong Kong Island West-Northeast Lantau Link.
Length: TBA
New stations: 5
Expected completion: 2034-2038
Lantau Island
Lantau Island has only one MTR connection, the Tung Chung Line, which connects the outlying island to Kowloon and Hong Kong, and in turn provides a railway transit point to Hong Kong Disneyland. There will be three more stations added to this line, which will give it a new westward terminus near Yat Tung Estate.
Oyster Bay Station
This is the third new station that will open on the Tung Chung Line, after Tung Chung East and West. The Oyster Bay stop, also called the Siu Ho Wan Station, will be located between the Sunny Bay and Tung Chung stations, just before the proposed Tung Chung East stop. It will provide easy access to key transport hubs and facilities like the Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities, the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Tunnel, and the Tsing Ma Bridge.
Stations: 1
Expected completion: 2030
Tung Chung Line Extension
Under this project, there will be two more stations on the existing Tung Chung Line. The Tung Chung East Station will be between the Sunny Bay and Tung Chung stops. The MTR will also extend the Tung Chung Line another by about 1.3 kilometres to include the Tung Chung West stop near Yat Tung Estate. Preliminary work has already begun on the tracks, and the stations are expected to open in 2029 at the earliest. This will allow residents of these neighbourhoods to travel to the new Oyster Bay Station, which connects to Kowloon, Hong Kong and the High Speed Rail at West Kowloon.
Length: 1.2km (Tung Chung East), 1.3km (Tung Chung West)
New stations: 2
Expected completion: 2029
Northern Metropolis
The Northern Metropolis is a 30,000 hectare area that spans the Yuen Long District and North District, including new towns in Tin Shui Wai, Yuen Long and Fanling/Sheung Shui. It includes various New Development Areas in different planning and development stages and their neighbouring areas. The HKSAR government plans to link various parts within this development project to Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the mainland by building new railway lines and stations.
Northern Link
The Northern Link will connect the East Rail Line and the Tuen Ma Line, forming a railway loop in the Northern New Territories. The under-construction Kwu Tung Station, between the Lok Ma Chau and Sheung Shui stations on the East Rail Line — an important link to Shenzhen — will be the first stop on the Northern Link, and is scheduled to be completed in 2027. The Northern Link will include three more stations — San Tin, Ngau Tam Mei and Au Tau — before terminating at Kam Sheung Road Station on the Tuen Ma Line.
Length: 10.7 km
New stations: 4
Expected completion: 2034
Northern Link Spur Line
This proposed line will begin from the San Tin Station on the proposed Northern Link, and pass through the San Tin Technopole and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Loop, and will connect the new Huanggang Port in Shenzhen. This cross-boundary transport link — meant to be another option for residents and tourists travelling within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area — is currently in the planning stages.
Length: 5.8 km
New stations: TBA
Expected completion: 2034-2038
Northeast New Territories Line
This line will run from Heung Yuen Wai, going through areas such as Ping Che and Queen’s Hill, and connect with Fanling Station on the East Rail Line. The line will improve access to the Heung Yuen Wai boundary control point and provide an interchange with the East Rail Line.
Length: 8.5 km
New stations: TBA
Expected completion: TBA
Northern Link Eastern Extension
This will extend the Northern Link eastward from Kwu Tung Station to Ping Che, passing through areas like Lo Wu and Man Kam To — both cross-boundary control points. The plan is for the line to connect to the proposed Northeast New Territories Line at its terminal.
Length: 9.5 km
New stations: 8
Expected completion: TBA
Hung Shui Kiu Station
Construction on the Hung Shui Kiu station between the Tin Shui Wai and Siu Hong stops on the Tuen Ma line will begin this year. It will provide train services to the Hung Shui Kiu or Ha Tsuen New Development Area and the surrounding districts. Hung Shui Kiu will be an important jumping-off point for the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link.
New station: 1
Expected completion: 2030
Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link
The proposed Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link — of which an 8-kilometre-long section will pass through Hong Kong — will begin at the Hung Shui Kiu Station on the Tuen Ma Line. It will pass through Ha Tsuen and Lau Fau Shan, cross the Deep Bay, and connect to Qianhai via Shenzhen Bay Port. The railway line aims to connect Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen innovation and technology corridor.
Length: 18km (8km in Hong Kong)
New stations: 3
Expected completion: TBA
Central Rail Link
The Central Rail Link (CRL) will link Kam Tin in Yuen Long and Kowloon Tong via Kwai Chung, thereby connecting the Northern Metropolis and the Harbour Metropolis. In the process, it will link several current and proposed railways, including the Tuen Ma Line, the Tsuen Wan Line, and the Kwun Tong Line in the New Territories. It will also connect the East Rail Line, the Northern Link, and the Northeast New Territories Line, thereby providing better connectivity to Mainland China.
Length: 17 km
New stations: 6
Expected completion: TBA
New Territories
The infrastructure plans for the New Territories mainly include expansions of the current Tuen Ma, Tseung Kwan O, and Tsuen Wan lines, as well as the addition of a new station near the Hong Kong Science Park.
Tuen Mun South Extension
Billed by MTR as a “community railway”, the Tuen Mun South Extension will add two more stations to the Tuen Mun line after its current termination point at Tuen Mun. The line will extend southwards by means of a viaduct to include an intermediate stop at Area 16 and a new terminal at Tuen Mun South near the Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal. This will give residents of these areas access to the Hung Shui Kiu Station, where the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link will begin.
Length: 2.4 km
New stations: 2
Expected completion: 2030
Pak Shek Kok Station
In her 2021 policy address, former Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that the public transport service connections between Pak Shek Kok and the Science Park needed to be improved. Therefore, the government recommended the construction of a new Science Park/Pak Shek Kok MTR Station of the East Rail Line on the site of The Hong Kong Education University (EdUHK) Sports Centre. As of 2023, the station was still in the planning stages.
New stations: 1
Expected completion: 2033
Tsuen Wan Line West Extension
This extension will add three new stations to the Tsuen Wan Line: Northeast Tsuen Wan, Northeast Kwai Chung, and Tsuen King Circuit. These stations will also be connected to the Central Link to allow passengers from Hong Kong and Kowloon to transit to the Tsuen Wan Line, which will in turn provide access to the Northern Link and its associated lines.
Length: TBA
New stations: 3
Expected completion: TBA
Tseung Kwan O Line Southern Extension
In his policy address in 2022, current Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said that the Tseung Kwan O line would extend southwards towards Area 137 — a new residential part of Hong Kong that will have 50,000 homes that residents can start moving into from 2030 at the earliest. However, there is no word yet and when the station will open.
Length: 4 km
New stations: TBA
Expected completion: TBA
Header image credits: MTR
