Around two decades ago, the Tsim Sha Tsui spur line, which was part of the East Rail Line extension project in 2004, was put into service after the East Rail Line’s new destination – East Tsim Sha Tsui station was opened. As the Tuen Ma Line is about to be fully opened, we take a look at the history of the Tsim Sha Tsui spur line, which has served millions of passengers, and will be removed after the Tuen Ma Line is fully opened.
These videos were meticulously recorded by train lovers in Hong Kong.
In 2009, when they caught the wind of a plan which would move the East Rail Line’s destination in Kowloon back to Hung Hom, they started to make videos featuring East Rail Line trains leaving and arriving at the underground station. Needless to say, Tsim Sha Tsui spur line was once a section of the East Rail Line. A noteworthy thing is that East Tsim Sha Tsui station was once the line’s only underground station, with platform screen doors installed. That’s why train lovers were dedicated to capturing East Rail Line trains, especially the old MLR trains, leaving and arriving at the station. Scenes of East Rail Line trains leaving and arriving at the underground station have now become a part of Hong Kong’s history.
In 1975, East Rail Line’s trains started to terminate in Hung Hom instead of Tsim Sha Tsui. People then had to travel to Tsim Sha Tsui by bus or ferry. It was inconvenient for them to travel to Tsim Sha Tsui by bus or ferry at that time.
As Tsim Sha Tsui gradually turned into a commercial centre and a focal point for tourists, the government and the KCR began to study the possibility of constructing a new spur line, connecting Hung Hom to Tsim Sha Tsui, so as to reduce the traveling time.
In 1994, after rounds of discussions, the Transportation Department enunciated a plan to construct the Tsim Sha Tsui spur line.
The total cost of the project was 41 billion HK dollars.
Finally, on October 24, 2004, East Rail Line trains again returned to East Tsim Sha Tsui, 29 years after the old Tsim Sha Tsui station was closed. People whose offices were located close by couldn’t believe they finally didn’t have to wait for the bus anymore.
People were all smiles.
It was the Tsim Sha Tsui spur line that served millions of passengers going to and from the New Territories to Tsim Sha Tsui, a commercial centre.
And in 2007, the Lok Ma Chau spur line opened. People could travel from East Tsim Sha Tsui to Lok Ma Chau directly. That also eased overcrowding in Lo Wu Station.
But as time passed so fast, on August 15, 2009, the very last East Rail Line East Tsim Sha Tsui-bound train departed Lok Ma Chau. And after the last East Rail Line train departed East Tsim Sha Tsui on that day, East Rail Line trains never returned to the railway route’s only underground station, because the Kowloon-Southern Link, connecting Nam Cheong station to East Tsim Sha Tsui station opened.
The Kowloon-Southern Link is a section of the West Rail Line. Nam Cheong station used to be its destination in Kowloon. But since that Link opened, Hung Hom has been its destination in Kowloon.
What’s so special about the Tsim Sha Tsui Spur Line is that a part of it is close to the waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui, and that part is also outdoors. Among all railway routes in Hong Kong, only a handful of them are located close to a waterfront.
As the Tuen Ma Line is going to open on June 27 this year, the 1.1-kilometre-long Tsim Sha Tsui spur line will stop service, and the tunnel will be permanently closed. Hence, scenes of trains passing through the special and historic spur line, which once brought East Rail Line trains back to Tsim Sha Tsui, will soon become a part of Hong Kong’s history.
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