PR019/14

25 March 2014

Package of Enhancements for Light Rail in "ListeningResponding" Programme More Frequent Services, More Staff, More Facilities, More Information

Passengers using the Light Rail system in the Northwest New Territories will enjoy more frequent services when 148 additional weekly services on three of the busiest Light Rail routes are introduced from 7 April 2014. The additional services are part of a package of enhancements being rolled out for Light Rail under the MTR Corporation's Listening‧ Responding Programme. Other improvements will include more staff for smoother boarding and new ticket machines that will make it possible for passengers to add value to their
Octopus at all Light Rail stops.
"We rolled out the Listening‧Responding Programme in 2012 to directly respond to feedback from our customers on areas where they would like us to do more such as reduce waiting time and ease crowding. This year, we are pleased to be introducing a whole host of
improved services for our Light Rail passengers to bring them more convenient and comfortable journeys," said Mr Jay Walder, Chief Executive Officer of MTR Corporation.
From 7 April, service frequencies will be enhanced by 30 seconds to one minute on the following Light Rail routes:

507: Monday to Friday 4pm - 8pm

705: Monday to Friday 5pm - 9pm; Saturday 2pm - 6pm; Sunday 2pm - 8pm

706: Monday to Friday 3pm - 5pm; Saturday 5pm - 6pm

In addition, more coupled set Light Rail vehicles will be deployed on routes 505, 507, 610, 705 and 751 to provide extra carrying capacity. (Details of the service enhancements in Annex 1)
Better management of passenger flow on Light Rail platforms will also make passenger journeys smoother and more comfortable. As such, 50 additional platform assistants will be recruited to assist passengers and guide them on and off Light Rail vehicles.
From the fourth quarter of 2014, MTR Corporation will start a programme to replace existing Single Journey Ticket Issuing Machines with a new "2-in-1" model that not only sells Single Journey Tickets, but also allows passengers to add value to their Octopus. When the replacement programme is completed at the end of 2015, add-value service will be available at more than 150 platforms at all Light Rail stops compared with the 49 platforms at present. (Features of the new "2-in-1" ticket machine in Annex 2)

- more -

In its continuous effort to upgrade existing facilities to enhance travel comfort for passengers, the Corporation will also refurbish the busy Tai Tong Road Stop starting in the third quarter of this year. The works will include replacement of the platform canopy and relocation of some railings to create a more spacious environment. The ramps leading to the Light Rail platform will also be widened to enhance passenger movement.
And planning Light Rail journeys will be even more convenient for passengers at the end of this year when a Journey Planner for Light Rail is introduced on the MTR website and on the Corporation's mobile app platform.
"We are very excited about the enhancements that we are bringing to Light Rail, a part of our network that is used by some 500,000 passengers a day. From the planning of their journey and the buying of tickets to the trip itself, passengers will be able to enjoy an enhanced experience every step of the way when all of these improvements are implemented over the next year or so," said Mr Adi Lau, Deputy Director - Operating of MTR Corporation.
- End - Photo captions:
1. Mr Adi Lau, Deputy Director - Operating of MTR Corporation introduces a package of service enhancements to provide Light Rail passengers with more comfortable journeys, more convenient facilities and more timely and relevant service information.

2. New "2-in-1" Light Rail ticket machines will enable passengers to purchase single journey tickets and add value to their Octopus at more than 150 platforms at ali Light Rail stops.

3. Refurbishment works at Tai Tong Road Stop will begin in the third quarter to make the platform more spacious and enable smoother passenger flow.

Annex 1

Details of Light Rail service enhancements

Starting from 7 April 2014, Light Rail services will be enhanced as below:

Day

Route

Period

New Frequency (min) (Existing Frequency)

Additional Light

Rail trips

(weekly)

Monday to

Friday

507

4pm - 8pm

7 (7.5)

130

Monday to

Friday

705

5pm - 9pm

5 (6)

130

Monday to

Friday

706

3pm - 5pm

5 (6)

130

Saturday

705

2pm - 5pm

6.5 (7)

10

Saturday

705

5pm - 6pm

5.5 (6)

10

Saturday

706

5pm - 6pm

6 (6.5)

10

Sunday

705

2pm - 8pm

5 (5.5)

8

At the same time, more coupled set Light Rail vehicles will run on routes 505, 507, 610, 705, and 751 to offer additional carrying capacity.

Annex 2

Features of new Light Rail ticket machine

- Integrate the functions of buying single journey tickets and value adding for Octopus

- Large LCD touchscreen and flashing LED indicators offer a step-by-step guide to ticket selection; passengers can choose to select tickets by station or by zone

- New and improved single journey tickets with bilingual information clearly indicate which zones the passenger is travelling between and the fare value of the ticket

- Caters to the needs of persons with disabilities, with controls within easy reach of wheelchair users, audio information and a braille keypad for the visually impaired, and induction loop facility for the hearing impaired

- Slimmer design of the ticket machine frees up more space on the platform

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