電車的歴史(in English)

Electric trams have been operating on Hong Kong Island since 1904, The Hongkong Tramways Limited operates six overlapping routes on 13 kilometres of double track along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan, and about three kilometers of single track around Happy Valley.


The company's 164 trams, including two open-balcony trams for tourists and private hire and one special maintenance tram, make up the world's only fully double-deck tram fleet. The trams recorded an average of 231,000 passenger trips daily. Fares were $2 for adults and $1 for children under 12 and senior citizens aged 65 or above.

1888 - 1926
The Peak Tram is arguably the most enduring emblem of Hong Kong's unique past. It has seen war, been featured on films and television and played host to numerous dignitaries. On May 30, 1888 Governor Sir George William des Voeux officiated at the inauguration of this important transport for the commuters on the Peak.

At that time, a ride in the first-class section up to the Peak cost 30 cents. The charge was 20 cents for second class and 10 cents for third class. The return trip was half the price. The Peak Tram, which was operated by coal-fired steam boilers then, ended up serving 600 passengers on its first day and about 150,000 in its first year.


1901
Between 1908 and 1949, the first two seats were reserved for the use of the Governor of Hong Kong and were not released to other passengers until 2 minutes prior to departure time. A brass plaque on the back read: "This seat is reserved for His Excellency, the Governor."

In 1926, an electrically powered system replaced the coal-fired steam boilers. However, following the Japanese occupation of Kowloon on December 11, 1941, the Peak Tram engine room was damaged in an attack. On Christmas Day in 1945, the Peak Tram service resumed but part of a Japanese shell was lodged under the main base plate of the two haulage drums.

Hollywood soon came knocking and the Peak Tram was featured in the 1950s movie, Soldier of Fortune, starring Clark Gable. The opening and closing scenes were shot inside the tramcar. The Peak Tram was also included in an episode of the Love Boat.


1987
A 62-seat, lightweight all-metal tramcar was introduced in 1956 before the Peak Tram began service in its present form in 1989 following a HK$60-million overhaul to upgrade it to a microprocessor-controlled electric drive system. Governor Sir David Wilson officiated at the reopening on September 20, 1989.

Commemorative stamps were issued by the General Post Office to mark the Peak Tram's centenary anniversary in May 1988.

Today, more than 4 million people ride the Peak Tram annually, or an average of over 11,000 each and every day.

The electric tram system was proposed in 1881; however nobody was willing to invest in a system at the time. In August 1901, the Second Tramway Bill was introduced and passed into law as the 1902 Tramway Ordinance. Hong Kong Tramway Electric Company Limited, a British company, was authorised to construct and operate the system. It was soon taken over by the Electric Traction Company of Hong Kong Limited, and the name was changed to Hong Kong Tramways Company Limited in 1910.

In 1922, a new company, Hong Kong Tramway Limited (HKT), was founded to take over and operate the system. The Tramway Ordinance of 1902 had awarded a 25-year operating mandate, which was then extended to a 50-year contract and expired on 23 May 1952. Due to the extension of the mandate, the Hong Kong Government had the chance to purchase the tramway at 5-year intervals, provided always that 6 months' notice of such intention was given. In 1974, Hong Kong Tramways became part of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Company Limited and is now operated under subsidiary Wharf Transport Investments Ltd.

The Hong Kong Tramways system was built from May 1903 (see timeline below). After equipment testing, the electric tram began operation on July 30, 1904. At that time the main route went along the northern waterfront of Hong Kong Island from Arsenal Street in Causeway Bay to Shau Kei Wan, with a branch serving Happy Valley. Shortly after, the line was extended westards to Kennedy Town. The length of the route was 15 km (9.3 miles), the same as today, except for track relocations and the extension of the Happy Valley branch in 1914. Originally constructed with both single and double-track sections, the last single-track section was eliminated in August 1949. Reserved track along Queensway (then part of Queen's Road East) was introduced from 1955.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s there were fears about the survival of the trams when the Mass Transit Railway began to construct the Island Line, which was proposed to run along a route that is similar to the trams'. A survey was taken by the company in 1984, and the results concluded that the public would prefer to keep the tram system intact.


Hong Kong Tramways is one of the three tramways in the world that have regular operation of double-decker trams (the others being Blackpool, England and Alexandria), and is the only system that runs exclusively on double-deckers.

Operated by The Wharf, the tramway runs on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong between Shau Kei Wan and Kennedy Town, with a branch circulating Happy Valley. 240,000 residents commute by tram every day. Serving from 1904, it is one of the earliest forms of public transport in Hong Kong. Trams in Hong Kong have not only been a form of transport for over 100 years, but also a major tourist attraction.



this link has more about this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_Tramways#History