World Class Metro, Hong Kong style

The Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR) was opened in 1979. It consists of 91 route km on which there are 52 stations, served by seven lines. The network carries a daily passenger load of over 2.5 million. The MTR is controlled from a single operations room. The capacity of the MTR lines allows eight-car trains to carry 75,000 people per hour in each direction. The MTR Corporation has a number of service pledges concerning service provision, timekeeping, reliability, temperature and ventilation. MTR is a member of an international benchmarking group. A table showing the market share of each of the public transport modes in Hong Kong is presented. The aims of MTR are outlined. Details are given of MTR's regulatory regime, property development, Octopus smartcard and the formation of MTR International.