Though the first line only opened in 1979, the MTR has since developed from a small metro line into one of the world's leading operators for rail and underground systems.
As Hong Kong enjoyed the holiday and festivities of China's 75th National Day, transport and specifically rail fanatics in Hong Kong found themselves celebrating another key milestone on the 1st of October. 45 years ago, Hong Kong's first metro railway line, the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) was opened. Running through the suburbs of Kowloon, the first phase of the "Modified Initial System" was inaugurated, snaking 5 miles from Kwun Tong to Shek Kip Mei. This section (which now forms as part of the Kwun Tong Line) was hugely popular with more than 200,000 using the system on the first day and marked the beginning of public dependency on public transport systems.
(Left to Right): Inauguration of the first passenger MTR train (image from CS&D), passengers queuing to ride MTR at Shek Kip Mei Station (image from SCMP Archives, by Yau Tin-Kwai), then-Hong Kong Governor Murray MacLehose, Norman Thompson and Lady MacLehose officially opening the MTR (image from The Standard).
Hong Kong has one of the highest public transport utilisation rates in the world with more than 90% of daily passenger trips being made through public transport of which the majority of trips are made via the MTR system. Around 5 million trips are made on the MTR daily - for context, Hong Kong's population is approximately 7.4 million. Since the inaugural service, the MTR has expanded to 10 mass transit lines and around 110 miles of track - every one of the 18 districts in Hong Kong is now served by at least one MTR station.
(1st) The "Modified Initial System" (image from transitmap.net) and (2nd) the current MTR system map (map from mtr.com.hk).
Though perhaps what is most fascinating is not the sheer usage and popularity of Hong Kong's metro system but is actually what the MTR is. The MTR is, quite literally, the Hong Kong Railway Corporation in Chinese (香港鐵路有限公司). Majority owned by the Hong Kong SAR Government, the MTR was partially privatised and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange late 2000 under the Mass Transit Railway Corporation Limited (MTRCL). Lauded for its operational efficiency in Hong Kong (Hong Kong's metro system has one of the highest efficiency rates in the world, with a 99.9% on-time rate; any delays incur a minimum HK$1 million fine), the Hong Kong Government encouraged Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) and MTR to merge under a 50 year service concession in 2007. Operations post-(partial) privatisation also expanded to Mainland China, including the operation of specific metro lines on the neighbouring Shenzhen Metro (Line 4), Beijing and Hangzhou Metros. Internationally, the MTR operated London Overground under a joint-venture with Arriva UK from 2007 - 2016 and also the Elizabeth Line to the present day; other operations also include the entire Stockholm Metro and Sydney North West Line in Australia. Whilst the MTR's profits are increasingly dominated by outer-Hong Kong operations, Hong Kong's metro system alone is one of the world's most profitable metro systems, with a farebox recovery ratio exceeded 120% despite having relatively cheap ticket prices (the majority of profits actually come from their derived Rail plus Profit (R+P) model) - the cheapest single journey ticket on the MTR is around HK$4 (~£0.38) - in comparison, the cheapest inter-zonal fare on the London Underground is £1.80*.
Despite this, the MTR has not come without its fair share of criticism. In 2018, whilst construction of new platforms to make way for the Sha Tin-Central Link, workers constructing the new Hung Hom platforms were found to have deliberately cut steel bars rather than properly screw in couplers, putting the platform at risk of collapse. Given Hong Kong's stringent construction regulations, the mishap resulted in the contractor, Leighton Contractors (Asia) receiving a HK$40,000 fine by the Government in 2023. This along with recent train derailments have called into question the high standards the MTR holds itself to.
Regardless of the controversies, the MTR still continues to be one of the world leaders in metro and railway operations. Its ever-growing expansion, including the most recent Sha Tin-Central Link of the East Rail Line crossing Victoria Harbour to the introduction of High Speed Rail services between Hong Kong West Kowloon, Shenzhen and Guangdong adding Hong Kong to the Chinese High Speed Rail network for the first time in 2018 to the future Tung Chung Line extension. The MTR has not only become a reputable brand but also a key symbol of "keeping cities moving" whilst "caring for life's journeys" and staying true to its core value of serving Hong Kong.
There is no doubt that the MTR will remain a role model for generations to come.
For its 45th anniversary, the MTR have redesigned an M-Train to reflect the original design that was in service in October 1979 namely the "45th Anniversary Themed Train", including the refitting of old handles. (1st) image from Sing Tao. (2nd) image from MTR. (3rd) image from am730.
*excludes the Heathrow Free Travel Zone
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