MTR Light Rail

[hkskyline]

By "1001~HU8370" from a Hong Kong transport forum :

[Manila-X]

I have never ridden one despite living in HK all my life!

[sfgadv02]

Originally Posted by WANCH

I have never ridden one despite living in HK all my life!

So I suppose you live in HK Island or Kowloon......

[Manila-X]

Originally Posted by sfgadv02

So I suppose you live in HK Island or Kowloon......

It's very obvious where I live

[hkskyline]

輕鐵軌神探自動快測裂紋 斥資240萬 效率升2倍
明報 03月 29日 星期六 05:05AM

【明報專訊】輕鐵雖然只覆蓋新界西北區的屯門 、元朗及天水圍 ，但路軌總長度達140公里，若以人手操作的儀器，差不多要兩個月才能偵測整個路軌系統。港鐵最近斥資240萬元引入自動化的路軌檢測儀，除了檢測時間快2倍外，當偵測到路軌有裂紋時，更會有明顯警示，令檢查人員不會「走漏眼」。

發聲防檢查員「走漏眼」

新引入的檢測儀產自英國 ，下月正式投入服務。檢測儀外形就像一部高爾夫球車，車旁兩邊各裝上10個超聲波探頭，可偵測路軌表面及內裏的情。港鐵公司基建總經理梁泉材解釋，偵測到的裂紋深度視乎調校探頭的靈敏度，一般來說，偵測深度達4毫米的裂紋已足夠：「即使測到裂紋也不一定要即時更換路軌，就如打個噴嚏也不一定要入醫院！」他指有其他加固工程，可保持路軌穩定性。

輕鐵：測到裂紋不一定換軌

新儀器可即時把檢測所錄得的數據下載到電腦，如果錄得不規律的數據時，儀器亦會發出聲響及閃燈；相比之下，舊有手提檢測儀的示警並不明顯，工人往往需要金睛火眼留意屏幕上的讀數及小閃燈，而且手動式儀器的效率不佳，檢測全長140公里的輕鐵路軌就需要50個晚上。

被港鐵命名為「輕鐵神探小精靈」的新儀器，最高時速可達10公里，檢查效率提升2倍。梁泉材表示，新儀器亦能協助港鐵系統內其他路線的路軌檢測工作，會否再增添這器材，將視乎使用效果再決定。

[Anekdote]

Originally Posted by WANCH

I have never ridden one despite living in HK all my life!

Mhh.. you're not alone. I have also never ridden Light Rail

[Rachmaninov]

I was told by a Yuen Long local that there was a bug on the octopus. If you entered and left within a certain time, it would not deduct any credit from your octopus and that was how lots of people got through without paying.

[Manila-X]

Originally Posted by Rachmaninov

I was told by a Yuen Long local that there was a bug on the octopus. If you entered and left within a certain time, it would not deduct any credit from your octopus and that was how lots of people got through without paying.

That would be cool though especially if you have the same thing happening in the bus, MTR or KCR

[Rachmaninov]

hahaha not at all because I think the service deserves my contribution
Unlike some other services I receive in other cities which I won't want to mention...

[hkskyline]

^ Yea .. didn't we talk about that before?

[SEAfan]

EDIT: Never mind.

But I think intraurban Light Rail is wonderful!

[hkskyline]

[_00_deathscar]

Rode it plenty of times, strangely enough. Especially in recent months courtesy of my monthly Yuen Long trips.

[spicytimothy]

Same here. Rarely ride it. Maybe 3 times in my whole life?

[EricIsHim]

^ When I was a kid lived in Aberdeen, I used to go to Yuen Long just to ride the LRT.
And back then, there was no West Kowloon Expressway, WCH Tunnel, Route 3 Expressway etc. It was a long way going in there from the Southern District.

[superchan7]

I ride for free by transferring from West Rail.

[hkskyline]

LCQ10: Light Rail services
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Wong Kwok-hing and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, at the Legislative Council meeting today (October 29):

Question:

Regarding the Light Rail (LR) services provided by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) in the North-west New Territories (NT), will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the number of LR vehicles commissioned in each of the past three years and the LR network expansion during the period;

(b) of the current population of the North-west NT; and whether it has assessed if the existing LR services can meet the service demand; if it has, of the details; and

(c) whether MTRCL has plans to reorganise the existing LR service network; if so, of the details of such plans?

Reply:

President,

(a) Since the commissioning of Light Rail (LR) in September 1988, it has always been the major mode of transport for the residents of the North-west New Territories (NWNT). The LR network totalled about 23 km in length when commissioned. With the opening of the new Tin Shui Wai Extension in December 2003, the LR network has already extended by 57% to 36 km, further expanding the LR network to Tin Shui Wai North and connecting to the West Rail Line Tin Shui Wai Station to cater for the development of the Yuen Long, Tuen Mun and Tin Shui Wai new towns. Between 2005 and 2008, LR has a fleet of 119 Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) providing passenger service in Tuen Mun, Tin Shui Wai and Yuen Long.

(b) According to the latest statistics released by the Census and Statistics Department in mid-2007, the population of Tuen Mun and Yuen Long are 480,000 and 530,000 respectively. At present, the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) operates 12 LR routes and 15 MTR Bus routes in NWNT. LR, with a fleet of 119 LRVs, provides services 20 hours a day operating more than 2,700 train trips and as frequent as every 1.3 minutes during peak hours. MTR Bus has a fleet of 110 buses providing feeder services for West Rail Line (WRL) and LR passengers. As at August 2008, the average daily patronage of LR and MTR Bus was 446,000.

In 2007, the Government reviewed the role and service level of the LR transit system in the overall public transport services provided in NWNT. A paper on the review was submitted to the Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways under the Legislative Council Panel on Transport in September 2007. After conducting on-site surveys and assessment, the Transport Department (TD) considered that the current daily carrying capacity of LR could generally meet the daily passenger transport demand. The review also examined the future population growth in NWNT, and the expected increase in LR patronage after the commissioning of the Kowloon Southern Link (KSL), for the purpose of assessing future passenger demand. Since LR provides feeder services for WRL, it is expected that LR's patronage will increase due to WRL patronage growth following the commencement of KSL. In addition, the population in NWNT is expected to increase by about 3.5% by 2011 as compared with now. Based on the above two factors, pre-merger Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation forecast that there would be an increase of around 20% in LR daily patronage and decided to purchase 22 LRVs to meet the patronage increase mentioned above. The new LRVs will come into operation by phases between 2009 and 2010.

(c) The present LR and MTR Bus network and the purchase of LRVs can generally meet the service demand of residents of Tuen Mun, Tin Shui Wai and Yuen Long. At this stage, MTRCL and TD have no plan to rationalise LR and MTR bus feeder service for the area.

To further enhance LR service, MTRCL will also carry out a modernisation programme for the 69 first-generation LRVs to further enhance the level of comfort and capacity. The programme will start in the fourth quarter of 2008 and is expected to be completed in 2011.

MTRCL will continue to closely monitor the demand of the residents for LR service in NWNT, with a view to optimising the use of resources and providing efficient services to passengers.

[hkskyline]

Source : http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/l...303/?start=all

[hkskyline]

By KCR,the way ahead from a Hong Kong bus forum :

[hkskyline]