The West Rail is one of the three lines of the KCRC network in Hong Kong.
It starts at Nam Cheong station in Sham Shui Po and ends at Tuen Mun station in Tuen Mun.
History
A railway to the northwestern New Territories from the urban area in Kowloon was proposed in the early 1990's. Both the MTR and the KCRC submitted plans to the government, but finally the KCRC's proposal was selected.
The first phase of construction included a double-track commuter railway connecting Tuen Mun station and Nam Cheong stations. This system has been in operation since 20 December 2003.
The track for the West Rail was laid underground only between Mei Foo and Kam Sheung Road stations. South of Kam Sheung Road station, the track emerges to the surface, and there is a depot between the tunnel portion and the station. The train is actually at ground level south of Mei Foo station, but the covered tracks makes most passengers feel like they are travelling undergound. The rest of the line built on a viaduct, which were constructed so that there is room for an emergency passage.
Originally, the KCRC expected to have around 120,000 passengers use the line every day, but unsatisfactory connection between stations and the areas they serve meant that the number of commuters chosing to use the West Rail remained far short of the goal after opening. The KCRC was also blamed for its route planning and forceful reduction of bus service, which had mainly been provided by the KMB after operation.
Furthermore, due to frequent breakdown, the chairman of KCRC, Michael Tien, announced that if the performance of West Rail does not improve, he will consider resigning. Although one-month passes were introduced on 1 August 2004, and the daily passenger capacity was increased to 150,000, there is still a long way to go before the KCRC's goal of 200,000 passengers is met.
The West Rail will be extended both to the south and north in the future. A new branch will go from Kam Sheung Road to Sheung Shui via Lok Ma Chau. The southern extension involves a new line from Nam Cheong station to the East Rail terminus Tsim Sha Tsui East with an intermediate station to be called West Kowloon located east of Kowloon station on the Airport Express
Stations
The stations of this line are: