The MTR South Island Line is the newest line on the MTR network, which opened on 28 December 2016. The South Island Line connects the central business district of Hong Kong and interchange to other lines from Admiralty station, to the southern part of Hong Kong Island, which is the first kind of rail transport in the area.
Transfer at Admiralty to the South Island Line is seamless – just follow the signs pointing towards the South Island Line everywhere.
The South Island Line Admiralty station is located below all other train platforms, under Harcourt Garden, with 34 escalators and five lifts integrating it with the existing station. To transfer to the South Island Line, you will step onto the future Sha Tin to Central Link East Rail Line platforms first.
The new South Island Line platforms of Admiralty station.
The short but efficient South Island Line route.
The platforms at Admiralty of the South Island Line sport a clean and modern look.
The interior of the medium capacity South Island Line C-Train. Trains run at 4 minutes frequency during off-peak hours.
The South Island Line takes the Nam Fung Tunnel running straight under Mount Cameron as a direct route to the southern part of Hong Kong Island.
Noise barriers are a common fixture on the overground section as the South Island Line runs close to schools and homes.
Approaching Ocean Park station.
Ocean Park station, as the name suggests, is right outside Ocean Park, finally offering a rail connection to this popular theme park.
Heading to Wong Chuk Hang.
Approaching the junction to Wong Chuk Hang Depot for South Island Line trains.
The southbound track flies over the junction.
Wong Chuk Hang station serves the residential area around the station, and is a proposed interchange station between the South Island Line and the future South Island Line (West).
The many noise barriers make the elevated section feel underground instead.
Crossing over the Aberdeen Channel Bridge over to Ap Lei Chau Island.
The line on Ap Lei Chau Island is fully underground.
Overhead catenary wires will swap to rigid overhead conductor-rails in the underground sections.
Tunnel lights will gradually “dim” before entering the pitch-dark tunnel.
Approaching Lei Tung station, which serves the Lei Tung Estate above it.
Approaching South Horizons, the southern terminus of the South Island Line.
The island platform of South Horizons station.
The new MTR route map with wider curve radii and the addition of the South Island Line.
The route map of the South Island Line.
The interior of the South Island Line C-Train.
The metal benches are similar to existing MTR urban line trains.
The dynamic route map on board.
A new handgrip style is adopted on the South Island Line C-Train.
The gangway of the South Island Line C-Train.
The gangway height is pretty high, but I guess this sticker is to prevent lawsuits.
Extra multi-purpose space on board the South Island Line C-Train.
Another style of additional multi-purpose space on board the South Island Line C-Train.
The driverless South Island Line C-Train allows a front view of the train ride.
The additional standing area at the ends of the South Island Line C-Train.
Heading out of Ap Lei Chau Island.
Passing by the New World First Bus Wong Chuk Hang Depot.
Approaching Wong Chuk Hang station.
The original plan for Wong Chuk Hang station was to be with four platforms and three tracks with South Island Line (West) trains using the middle track, allowing for convenient cross-platform interchanges. However, Wong Chuk Hang station now has a single island platform instead.
There is a junction to the Wong Chuk Hang Depot from the station too, however, trains will have to reverse directions at the siding before the depot.
Approaching the actual junction to the depot from the siding.
The siding to Wong Chuk Hang Depot.
Approaching Ocean Park station.
Entering the Nam Fung Tunnel running straight under Mount Cameron as a direct route to the southern part of Hong Kong Island.
Overhead catenary wires will swap to rigid overhead conductor-rails in the underground sections.
Approaching Admiralty station.
There is just a short overrun after the station, with tracks ending with buffer stops before the end of the tunnel.
Disembarking from the train at Admiralty station.
The escalators up to the transfer level for the Tsuen Wan Line, Island Line and East Rail Line (future – 2021) are at the northern end of the platform.
Overall, the South Island Line is definitely a game-changer for accessibility to the southern part of Hong Kong Island and Ap Lei Chau, with the new rail link taking just 12 minutes end-to-end with the key shortcut under the green parts of Hong Kong Island as compared to the previous accessibility of only by road skirting around the west side of the country park or the underground highway between Ocean Park and Happy Valley, both of which are subject to traffic jams.
Hong Kong is making good use of underground portions under country parks (read: nature reserves) for efficiency of transport and without any significant damage to the environment above. It’s time for more countries to learn from this to improve overall transport convenience, efficiency while not significantly affecting nature in it’s original place.