MTR Corporation opened the new South Island Line (SIL) for passenger service on 28 December , extending its railway service to the Southern District of Hong Kong.

SIL becomes MTR’s second and longest fully automatic operation railway line in Hong Kong after the Disneyland Resort Line.

Peak hour train service will operate at approximately 3-minute intervals. An end-to-end train ride from South Horizons to Admiralty takes approximately 11 minutes.

The 7-km medium-capacity line includes new stations at South Horizons, Lei Tung, Wong Chuk Hang and Ocean Park and connects to Admiralty Station, which has been expanded to become a strategic railway interchange station for four MTR lines.

Rolling Stock by Changchun Railway Vehicles Co

The SIL’s ten 3-car trainsets manufactured by Changchun Railway Vehicles Co adopt an open design with distinctive features to reflect the oceanic theme of the Southern District.

Similar to those being used in existing MTR railway lines, the train compartment is approximately 2.8 metres wide with a height of approximately 2 metres furnished with hand rails, passenger seats, doors, multi-purpose spaces, CCTV, etc. SIL trains are stabled at Wong Chuk Hang Depot, which is the first fully automatic operation depot in Hong Kong.

For noise reduction, the trains have all been fitted with noise damping wheels. Suspended floor is adopted to reduce noise from the equipment underneath. Rubber seals are also installed at the door frames to reduce the noise transmitting from outside to the train compartment.

Under and over ground

The line includes underground and viaduct sections, with the section between the Aberdeen Tunnel toll plaza and Ap Lei Chau on a viaduct. To better integrate with the surrounding environment, the viaduct design has been enhanced to use slender and rounded viaduct columns and harmonious colours for the viaduct facade and noise barriers. Landscaping works along the viaduct will create new open spaces for the public.

With the opening of the South Island Line, MTR train service now extends to all 18 districts in Hong Kong.

Source: MTR

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