The History of HK MTR

計劃
首次提出建造地下鐵路系統的建議是在一九六七年，由政府任命的費爾文霍士及施偉拔顧問工程公司研究後提交。香港人口的不斷增加及市民對公共交通工具的需要，是促使香港政府從事這項研究工作的兩個主要因素。


數星期後，集體運輸臨時管埋局宜佈，將「早期系統」略予縮減，成為「修正早期系統」。臨時管理局放棄採用單一承建合約的方法，將工程分為25個主要土木工程合約及10個電機及機械工程合約。



修正早期系統
修正早期系統包括中環、金鐘、尖沙咀、佐敦、油麻地、旺角、石硤尾、九龍塘、樂富、黃大仙、鑽石山、彩虹、九龍灣、牛頭角和觀塘。一九七五年十一月動工興建，全長15.6公里，將港島中環與九龍的主要住宅及工業區聯接起來。修正早期系統有12.8公里是在地下建造，其餘的2.8公里則為架空﹔全線有15個車站，包括12個地下及3個架空車站。


興建修正早期系統的總費用為五十八億港元，其中建築及裝備地下鐵路的工程合約費用佔五十億港元。其餘則用作行政管理、土地和顧問費。




荃灣線
政府於一九七七年七月批准興建荃灣線。荃灣線全長約10.5公里，由太子站經深水埗、長沙灣、荔枝角、美孚、荔景、葵芳、葵興、大窩囗至荃灣站，將地下鐵路之路線增至超過26公里。荃灣線共有十個車站，其中三個架空、一個在地面、其餘均在地下。


荃灣線通車時，取代觀塘線直通中環，原因是預計荃灣線客量大於觀塘線。


港島線
政府於一九八零年十二月批准興建港島線。港島線由上環站經修正早期系統的中環、金鐘，再經新建的灣仔、銅鑼灣、天后、炮台山、北角、鰂魚涌、太古、西灣河、筲箕灣、杏花邨至柴灣，將地下鐵路之路線增至超過37公里。港島線共有十四個車站，其中一個架空、一個在地面、其餘均在地下。


東區海底隧道
一九八四年，政府建議興建第二條過海隧道─東區海底隧道。當時承建商建議興建一條供車輛及地鐵使用的隧道，故此地鐵東隧部份便由此而來。


一九八五年十二月，東區海底隧道及藍田站動工興建，並於一九八九年八月六日啟用。

機場鐵路
機場鐵路是屬於機場核心計劃的一個重要部份，它把為於赤鱲角的香港國際機場及東涌新市鎮與市區連接起來。 八十年代尾，政府決定於赤鱲角興建新機場及多項配套工程，組成機場核心計劃。 因為當時中方對機場核心計劃的做價﹝尤其對機場鐵路﹞與英方出現嚴重的分歧，引致英方要作出多項讓步後﹝包括機場鐵路由原來的四軌設計縮為雙軌設計﹞才能達成協議。但新機場及機場鐵路已無法在完定的九七年中啟用。


一九九七年一月，荔景站平頂，而首部列車亦由西班牙運抵香港。二月二十八日機場鐵路藍巴勒海峽大橋結構工程完成。同年五月，青衣站平頂。九七年七月，首部工程車抵達香港站，象徵鐵路的路軌已由赤蠟角鋪設至香港島。九龍站亦於九月平頂。



紓緩鰂魚涌乘客擠塞工程
為紓緩鰂魚涌站轉線通道的擠塞情況，地鐵於2001年9月將觀塘線從鰂魚涌伸延至北角站，提供另一個轉車站供乘客使用。有關工程包括興建兩條共長四千二百米的新隧道，由鰂魚涌站經北角站向天后站伸展，並在北角站擴建兩個新的觀塘線月台及轉車通道。


將軍澳線於九九年初正式動工興建，耗資三百零五億元，油塘站並於二零零二年八月四日開放通車，寶琳至調景嶺站於八月十八日全線通車。


西鐵交匯工程
為配合西鐵於二零零三年通車，地鐵於一九九九年展開西鐵交匯工程，其中包括擴建美孚站，在東涌線荔景及奧運站之間增建南昌站，及將荔景及奧運站一段機場鐵路由兩軌增至四軌。南昌站位於南昌村西面，位於西九龍公路下方，連接西鐵第一期的南面終點站。車站由九鐵負責興建，並與地鐵共同擁有及管理。有關設施已於二零零三年十二月十六日開放給市民使用。


迪士尼線
為配合在大嶼山竹篙灣的香港迪士尼樂園啟用，地鐵公司於二零零二年七月興建連接通往迪士尼樂園的迪士尼線。


二零零五年六月一日欣澳站首先開放，而迪士尼線則於二零零五年八月一日正式啟用。


博覽館站
為配合機場島東面的亞洲國際博覽館啟用，地鐵公司將機場快線機場服務月台旁興建博覽館站。博覽會站於二零零五年十二月二十日啟用，而機場快線的列車服務則由機場站延長至博覽館站。

列車
在一九九七年，地鐵將兩卡列車(A203/C203)的內部翻新，並行走各線以收集乘客對列車的意見。稍後，地鐵正式批出翻新全線列車合約。一九九八年未，首列完成翻新工程的列車正式投入服務。而有關工程亦已於二零零一年完成。

History
In early 1975, a government agency known as the Mass Transport Provisional Authority was established to take charge of the project. It announced that the Initial System would be slightly reduced to 15.6 kilometres, and renamed it the Modified Initial System. Plans for a single contract were also abandoned in favour of 25 engineering contracts and 10 electrical and mechanical contracts.

In addition, the government-owned Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) was established to replace the Mass Transport Provisional Authority.

On 1 October 1979, the northern section was opened, with trains running from Shek Kip Mei to Kwun Tong. The route from Tsim Sha Tsui to Shek Kip Mei was opened in December of the same year. In 1980, the first harbour crossing was made by an MTR train as the Kwun Tong Line was extended even further to Chater station, now known as Central station. To deal with increasing patronage, trains were also extended to six cars.

Line extensions in 1980s
The interchange concourses at every interchange station are very wide to allow a large number of passengers to change trains at the same time. (Admiralty)
The government approved construction of the Tsuen Wan Line in 1977, then known as Tsuen Wan Extension, and works commenced in November 1978.

Since the line's opening in 1982, this is the only line whose alignment has virtually remained the same for the past 23 years. For example, the Kwun Tong Line's alignment has changed for 2 times since its opening — the taking over of Tsuen Wan Line from Mong Kok to Central, and the taking over of Eastern Harbour Crossing section by the Tseung Kwan O Line.

Government approvals were granted for construction of the Island Line in December, 1980. Construction commenced in October, 1981. On 31 May 1985 the Island Line was opened with service between Admiralty and Chai Wan stations. Both Admiralty and Central stations became interchange stations with the Tsuen Wan Line. Furthermore, each train was extended to eight cars.

On 23 May 1986, service reached Sheung Wan station. Construction for this station was delayed for one year as government offices which sat on top of the station had to be removed to a new location before construction could start.

In 1984, the government approved the construction of the Eastern Harbour Crossing, a tunnel to be used by cars and MTR trains. The Kwun Tong Line was extended across the harbour to Quarry Bay, which became an interchange station for the Kwun Tong Line and the Island Line. The extension was launched on 5 August 1989. An intermediate station, Lam Tin, started operations on 1 October 1989.