Hong Kong News

Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Hong Kong rail fans flock to take first passenger rides on new Q-train

Hong Kong rail fans flock to take first passenger rides on new Q-train

New eight-car train, made in mainland China, went into operation on Kwun Tong line.

Hundreds of Hong Kong railway fans and passengers dashed on Sunday to be the first riders on newly acquired trains made in mainland China, which will replace an almost four-decade-old first-generation model in the future.

Arriving at Choi Hung station at around 9am on Sunday, hundreds of diehard railway fans cheered for the new Q-train, wearing costumes and carrying props, including models of the carriage and home-made posters in hand.

They rushed into carriages to take photos and videos once the train doors opened.

“I came here at 7am to get ready for the maiden ride of Q-Train … [I am] very happy and excited,” one fan surnamed Choi said.


The new eight-car train ran on the Kwun Tong line until 12.45pm on Sunday.

The new eight-car train ran on the Kwun Tong line until 12.45pm.

Elvis Leung, a 17-year-old railway fan, was lucky enough to get onto the final new train of the day at Wong Tai Sin station as he rushed from Yuen Long after class in the morning.

“When I arrived at the platform, the train had just arrived. I am super excited,” Leung said. “The new train is brighter and more spacious, but the old train carries Hong Kong’s memory.

“Although I was born after the 2000s, I can still feel that the memory of Hong Kong will disappear along with the retirement of the old trains.”

The MTR Corp has said it plans to replace the 13 first-generation trains now about 40 years old running on the Kwun Tong line by next year.


The MTR Corporation purchased 93 eight-car trains made on the mainland to replace all of the first-generation, British-made vehicles operating on the Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan, Island and Tseung Kwan O lines.

The MTR Corp last Tuesday said it planned to replace the 13 first-generation trains now about 40 years old running on the Kwun Tong line by next year.

Despite enjoying the atmosphere and history of the old trains, Isaac Presley, 14, said the new ones reduced noise to a greater extent.

“[The old trains] get really noisy which bothers me slightly, but I have no problem with noise on Q-trains,” he said.

Q-trains are equipped with ergonomic seats, wider doorways, double-branched poles for passengers and more straps. LED lighting has also been used to make train compartments brighter, while “smart servers” have been installed to allow real-time remote monitoring of critical components during operation.

A passenger surnamed Li in his 60s, who brought his seven-year-old grandson for the ride, said he appreciated the new seats the most.

“Seats are wider in the new train,” Li said. “My back feels more comfortable. They are also more spacious and they can accommodate a few adults.”

Another passenger, who only gave her name as Michelle, said the new train had more straps, so passengers did not need to struggle for them any more.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Hong Kong News
0:00
0:00
Close
It's always the people with the dirty hands pointing their fingers
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
'I am not your servant': IndiGo crew member, passenger get into row over airline meal
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
BMW driver…
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
×