The Hong Kong perspective

Hong Kongrs population has grown from just 23,000 in 1842 to 7 million today, all in an area of 1,092 square kilometres. Due to the mountainous nature of the terrain, the population is concentrated in relatively small areas, creating dense corridors, the ideal demographic for urban railway transport. Hong Kong was one of the first Asian cities to build a modern mass transit railway and, over the last 30 years MTR Corporation has set benchmarks for safety, reliability, customer service, project management and profitability. In this Paper the author explains the major phases of metro development in Hong Kong and how the particular geographical and economic position of Hong Kong have enabled a world class metro to emerge. The development of the permanent way in Hong Kong through the years will be the thread to illustrate the story. As to the future, the author cannot ignore the effect that the development of metro systems in China is having on Hong Kong and the railway industry in general.