MTR: Kwun Tong Line

Continuing on from the Tseung Kwan O Line mentioned in the previous post, the Kwun Tong Line is a bit more interesting – the full set of photos is here, along with a track diagram of the line.

At Tiu Keng Leng trains for the Kwun Tong Line emerge from turnback sidings beyond the platform, then have a cross platform interchange with the Tseung Kwan O Line:

Cross platform interchange at Tiu Keng Leng

There is the second cross platform interchange at Yau Tong, the uninteresting station of Lam Tin, then the railway emerges from tunnel onto a viaduct:

Tangle of elevated freeway between Lam Tin and Kwun Tong, the MTR viaduct on the bottom of the stack

Unfortunately for photography there doesn’t seem to be any good vantage points in this section: the above photo was taken out from the window of a bus travelling along the parallel freeway.

The first station on the viaduct is Kwun Tong:

Signalling and other kit at the end of the Kwun Tong station platform

The top level is the platforms, below is the concourse, then a roundabout, and a underground road tunnel.

Kwun Tong station: underground road, a roundabout, the station concourse, then the platforms

Across the road from the station is a multistorey carpark, which make a good vantage point no matter what country you are in:

Looking between buildings at the elevated Kwun Tong station

The next station are Ngau Tau Kok and Kowloon Bay, which have the same design due to being located on the same viaduct.

Train stopped at the elevated Ngau Tau Kok station

Signalling and other kit at the end of the Kwun Tong station platform

These three stations do not have platform screen doors, but installation of automatic platform gates was underway when I visited.

Train arrives into Kowloon Bay station

Continuing onto Kowloon Bay, you can see the adjacent Kowloon Bay depot:

Train entering the sheds at Kowloon Bay depot: buildings on the podium as with every other MTR depot

When I was there a number of small diesel and battery-electric shunters were moving maintenance wagons around the depot.

Works train shunting around Kowloon Bay depot

Kowloon Bay is also the home of the MTR headquarters.

Train passing the MTR headquarters at Kowloon Bay

After the station at Kowloon Bay the line heads back underground:

Train bound for Yau Ma Tei head back underground at Kowloon Bay

If you leave the station there are a number of vantage points looking over the line, depending on the position of the sun.

Train departs Kowloon Bay station, Kowloon Bay depot is located alongside, under the Telford Garden housing estate

The first station in the tunnel is Choi Hung. It has an unusual track layout, with three tracks served by four platforms. I saw one train actually use the centre platform, it only opened the doors on one side – each island platform is dedicated to trains in a given direction. The platform also provides access to the Kowloon Bay depot, with the entire section being designed for future expansion, as explained here (via Google Translate).

Centre platform at Choi Hung, with a platform located on each side

Past Choi Hung not much interesting happens: the stations are all the usual cut and cover boxes, with the only difference being the colour of the mosiac tiles.

Kowloon Tong is a busy station, as it is the most convenient interchange for East Rail passengers from the New Territories to reach central Hong Kong. For this reason the station has a much larger concourse that usual, with many linkages to the ground level East Rail Line platforms.

A pretty full train at Kowloon Tong bound for Yau Ma Tei: full of passengers who changed from the East Rail line

Shek Kip Mei is just another of the same kind of station:

Waiting for the train after school at Shek Kip Mei

Finally the cross platform interchange stations with the Tsuen Wan Line are reached. Kwun Tong Line passengers heading for Tsuen Wan change at Prince Edward, while those headed for Central change to Mong Kok.

For this reason Mong Kok is an extremely busy station: not helped by the massive number of shopping centres located above the station.

Cross platform interchange at Mong Kok

Past Mong Kok the Kwun Tong Line continues one more station to Yau Ma Tei where the line terminates in the platform. When I caught a train there, I noticed a few passengers board at Mong Kok, then remain on the train at Yau Ma Tei, waiting for it to head back out again. With the limited number of seats on board each train, I assume they wanted to grab one before everyone else did.

Waiting for a Yau Ma Tei bound train at Mong Kok

So that is another line down – how many are left?

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