71-605: Fare zones are only relevant for single journey Light Rail tickets. Octopus card fares are loosely based on distance between stops. The Tuen Ma line uses a separate fare system. The Light Rail , also known as the Light Rail Transit ( LRT ), officially the North-West Railway , is a light rail system in Hong Kong, serving the northwestern New Territories , within Tuen Mun District and Yuen Long District . The system operates over 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge track, using 750 V DC overhead power supply. It
142-461: A joint-venture business , then known as Creative Star Limited. After three years of trials, the Octopus card was launched on 1 September 1997. Three million cards were issued in the first three months. The system's quick success was because MTR and KCR required all holders of Common Stored Value Tickets to replace them with Octopus cards within three months or have their tickets expire. Another reason
213-508: A UnionPay credit card, they can also purchase new Octopus cards in Huawei Wallet. The Australia-based company ERG Group (now Vix Technology ) was selected in 1994 to lead development of the Octopus project. It designed, built and installed the Octopus system. Operations, maintenance and development were undertaken by Octopus Cards Limited, and in 2005, it replaced the central transaction clearing house with its own system. The Octopus card
284-631: A bank after one working day, so drivers could be left over a weekend or longer waiting for their account to be reconciled. Installation and service fees are also a concern. Wong Yu-ting, the managing director of the Yellow Taxi Group, wanted retailers to offer discounts to Octopus taxi passengers, but the Transport Department objected as taxi fare discount is illegal in Hong Kong. In March 2018, Octopus Cards Limited announced plans to re-enter
355-548: A bus in Hong Kong without using the Octopus card requires giving exact change, making it cumbersome compared to using the Octopus card. By November 1998, 4.6 million cards had been issued, and rising to 9 million by January 2002. In 2000, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority granted a deposit-taking company licence to the operator. This increased the proportion of permitted non-transport–related Octopus card transactions from 15% of turnover to 50%. About HK$ 416 million
426-594: A central database or computer. The stored data may be transmitted after hours, or in the case of offline mobile readers, may be retrieved by a hand held device, for example a Pocket PC . In practice, different data collection mechanisms are used by different transport operators, depending on the nature of their business. The MTR equips its stations with local area networks that connect the components that deal with Octopus cards – turnstiles , Add Value Machines, value-checking machines and customer service terminals. Transactions from these stations are relayed to
497-715: A classroom. Meanwhile, the Phase III LRVs are expected to be rebuilt and repainted with a scheme similar to the Phase IV LRVs. In June 2024, the MTR received its first hydrogen-powered light rail. 610, 614, 615, 751, 761P There are currently 12 routes in the Light Rail system. The present MTR Bus route 506 retains the number of the Light Rail route that it replaced. Light Rail route 506 ran between Tuen Mun Ferry Pier and Yau Oi via Kin On; it
568-510: A journey, the card previously read by an 'Entry Processor' must be scanned at a dark-green 'Exit Processor', where the maximum fare less the fare incurred is refunded. Failure to do so within the time limit would cause the fare difference to be forfeited. If a person exits the same platform with the same card within 5 minutes, the fare deducted will be fully refunded. Light-blue 'Enquiry Processors' can also be found on most platforms. Like enquiry processors found in other places, passengers can check
639-460: A new China T-union version card, which could be used in 336 mainland China cities. The Cantonese name for the Octopus card, Baat Daaht Tùng ( Chinese : 八 達 通 ), translates literally as "eight-arrived pass", where Baat Daaht may translate as "reaching everywhere". Less literally, the meaning is taken as the "go-everywhere pass". It was selected by the head of the MTR Corporation,
710-694: A payment business, Octopus Cards Limited is regulated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Octopus' non-payment businesses are not subjected to such regulation and are operated by other subsidiaries of Octopus Holdings Limited. As of 2007, Octopus Holdings Limited was a joint-venture business owned by five transport companies in Hong Kong; 57.4% by the MTR Corporation, 22.1% by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, 12.4% by Kowloon Motor Bus, 5% by Citybus, and 3.1% by New World First Bus. The Government of Hong Kong owns 76.54% of
781-548: A storage capacity of 1 to 64 kB , compared to 125 bytes provided by magnetic stripe cards. Octopus pre-dates the ISO/IEC 14443 standards so uses a nonstandard RFID system. The operating range of the reader/writer is between 30 and 100 mm (1.2 and 3.9 in) depending on the model used. Octopus is designed so that transactions are relayed for clearing on a store and forward basis, without any requirement for reader units to have realtime round-trip communications with
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#1733085890630852-405: A vehicle operated by Hong Kong Monetary Authority . There are two main types of Octopus card ( On-Loan and Sold ), and two less common types ( Airport Express Tourist and MTR Airport Staff ). On-Loan cards are issued for use in day-to-day functions, primarily for fare payment in transport systems. They are further classified into Child , Adult , Elder , and Personalised categories, with
923-497: A wide window at the rear that can be opened in case of an emergency, while Phase II cars have a door at the back. The interior of the Phase III cars has a greenish look and the doors are also green. The Phase IV LRVs have a completely different appearance in contrast to the older phase. It has a white exterior livery with olive green and purple line on the side. The shape of the front of the LRV
994-551: Is a reusable contactless stored value smart card for making electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong . Launched in September 1997 to collect fares for the territory's mass transit system , it has grown into a widely used system for transport and other retail transactions in Hong Kong. It is also used for purposes such as recording school attendance and permitting building access. The cards are used by 98 percent of
1065-761: Is more streamlined than the older phases. The door opening and closing mechanism was similar to the ones from the K-class cars used in the Tseung Kwan O line and Tung Chung line. The Phase IV has 3 surveillance cameras in each vehicle. Seat belts and wheelchair positions were also available in the Phase IV. On older-generation LRVs there is a perch seat but the Phase IVs do not maintain this feature. The refurbished Phase I LRVs have rounded rectangular windows while Phase IV LRVs have square ones. The Phase II LRVs were not be refurbished; upon
1136-586: Is now commonly used in most public transport, fast food restaurants, supermarkets, vending machines , convenience stores, photo booths , parking meters , car parks , and many other retails business where small payments are frequently made. Over 33 million Octopus cards are in circulation as of 2018, with the card being used by 99 per cent of Hong Kong residents. Notable businesses that started accepting Octopus cards at an early stage included PARKnSHOP , Wellcome , Watsons , 7-Eleven , Starbucks , McDonald's , and Circle K . Between June 2003 and November 2004,
1207-699: Is recorded and the appropriate fare based on distance travelled is deducted when they validate their cards again at the exit point. The MTR usually charges less for journeys made using an Octopus card instead of conventional single-journey tickets. For example, the adult fare of a single journey from Chai Wan to Tung Chung is HK$ 25.7 with an Octopus card, and HK$ 28.5 with a single journey ticket. Other public transport operators also offer intermittent discounts for using Octopus cards on higher fares and round-trip transits on select routes. The first trial of using Octopus card readers in Hong Kong taxis started in June 2006 with
1278-452: Is required for entry. Payments are made by holding the card against or within a few centimetres of an Octopus card reader. The reader acknowledges payment by emitting a beep, and displaying the amount deducted and the remaining balance of the card. The standard transaction time for readers used for public transport is 0.3 seconds, and for retailers' card readers is 1 second. When using the MTR heavy rail system, each passenger's entry point
1349-418: Is still the only non-triangular junction in the entire system. The southern extension mainly consists of a route linking On Ting and Ferry Pier, on the newly reclaimed land near the river mouth of Tuen Mun River , known as "Mouse Island" by locals. A short spur was also built from the extension to another terminus at Sam Shing Estate, located near Castle Peak Bay . Three LRT routes were diverted (route 505
1420-464: Is the first and the only one in Hong Kong to adopt a zonal fare system. The feeder buses have fares independent of these zones, but provide discounts when passengers interchange between these buses and LRT. Seventy single-deck LRVs were manufactured in Melbourne and Brisbane , Australia by Comeng , to be shipped to Hong Kong for the seven LRT routes in the system. Three of the routes were to Yuen Long and
1491-465: Is the first major public transport system to use the Sony 13.56 MHz FeliCa radio frequency identification (RFID) chip. It is a contactless system, so users need only hold the card in close proximity to the reader. Data is transmitted at up to 212 kbit/s (the maximum speed for Sony FeliCa chips), compared to 9.6 kbit/s for other smart card systems like Mondex and Visa Cash . The card has
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#17330858906301562-555: The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) to consider the project instead. The KCRC announced they would build the system in 1984 to a budget of $ 1.5 billion, after investigating ways to improve commercial viability. After some research, construction commenced on 14 July 1985. By that time, Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) had developed its own network in Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, and there were about 10 routes serving within
1633-682: The mobile app was opportune during the COVID-19 pandemic , as it helped provide merchants customers with peace of mind regarding potential virus transmission. By July 2021, over 15,000 taxi drivers had installed Octopus Mobile POS. In collaboration with China UnionPay , Octopus Cards Limited introduced Octopus card usage to two Fairwood restaurants in Shenzhen in August 2006. In 2008, five Café de Coral locations in Shenzhen also started accepting Octopus. Value cannot be reloaded to Octopus cards in Shenzhen, but
1704-690: The public housing estates in northern Tuen Mun. Three branches: one to On Ting Estate in the southeast, one to the Tuen Mun Ferry Pier in the southwest and another northern branch all the way into the town of Yuen Long along Castle Peak Road . It was then known as Light Rail Transit or LRT and is also called as the North-west Railway according to the Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation Ordinance and Mass Transit Railway (North-west Railway) Bylaw. The transit system
1775-476: The Automatic Add Value Service is available to automatically deduct money value from a customer's credit card to reload an Octopus card. The two Fairwood restaurants in Shenzhen that were enabled for Octopus card payments are located at Luohu Commercial City and Shenzhen railway station . Shenzhen became the first city outside Hong Kong in which Octopus cards may be accepted as payment. In Macau,
1846-542: The Hong Kong Government replaced its 17,000 parking meters with an Octopus card–operated system. Octopus card was then the only accepted form of payment until 2021 when new meters were introduced that accepted contactless payment , Faster Payment System and QR code payment. Octopus cards also double as access control cards in buildings and for school administrative functions. At certain office buildings, residential buildings, and schools, use of an Octopus card
1917-544: The KMB Customer Service Centre, New World First Ferry (NWFF) Octopus Service Centres, and the New World First Bus (NWFB) Customer Service Centre. A student on-loan Octopus Card was initially issued, but was discontinued in 2005. Above statuses have expiry date which can be checked at MTR enquiry machines. Holders may renew and extend their status period by application to MTR. Since 14 December 2017,
1988-516: The Light Rail, while feeder buses operated by the KCRC would connect remote sites to the network, replacing KMB's equivalent services where applicable. The system was completed and fully operational in September 1988. The first section was opened to the public on 14 September 1988, with free rides between Tuen Mun and Yuen Long; normal, all-day service began four days later, on 18 September. The system consisted of two large and three small loops serving most of
2059-661: The MTR Club are automatically enrolled into the MTR Club Bonus Scheme. Members can earn Bonus Points by riding on the MTR, Airport Express, Light Rail and MTR Bus with their registered Octopus card during the promotion period. Members can then redeem these points for exclusive rewards. Passengers can visit the MTR website for the information of the gift during that particular promotion period. Notes Bibliography Octopus card The Octopus card ( Chinese : 八達通 ; Jyutping : baat3 daat6 tung1 , Cantonese )
2130-662: The MTR Corporation (as of 31 December 2005) and wholly owns the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, so is the biggest effective shareholder of Octopus Holdings Limited, and of Octopus Cards Limited. The Octopus card is recognised internationally. It won the Chairman's Award at the World Information Technology and Services Alliance 's 2006 Global IT Excellence Awards for being the world's leading complex automatic fare collection and contactless smartcard payment system, and for innovative use of technology. In February 2007 it
2201-498: The MTR's Kowloon Bay headquarters through a Frame Relay wide area network , and then on to the central clearing house system (CCHS). Similar arrangements are in place for retailers such as 7-Eleven . Handheld devices are used to scan offline mobile readers, including those installed on minibuses. Buses either use handheld devices or a wireless system, depending on operator. The Octopus card uses encryption for all airborne communication and performs mutual authentication between
Light Rail (MTR) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2272-418: The Octopus card and system had never been hacked . Octopus card readers include a fail-safe that prevents them from initiating a transaction when more than one card is detected at a time. On 11 February 2009, Sing Tao Daily reported that the fail-safe has been abused for fare evasion through the railway station turnstile. Passengers were stacking four or more cards on the reader before breaking through
2343-655: The Octopus card for payment are located at the Rua do Campo and the Sands Casino . Shenzhen Tong cards are now widely used in Shenzhen instead, and a combined Shenzhen Tong – Hong Kong Octopus card is available, called the Hu Tong Xing, with RMB & HKD in different purses. The Macau Pass is now widely used in Macau. Spare coins can also be added on to Octopus cards at "Coin Carts",
2414-515: The Octopus card was introduced in December 2006 when two Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in the territory adopted its usage as payment. Similar to its usage in Shenzhen, an Octopus card may not be reloaded in Macau, and the currency exchange rate between the Macanese pataca and the Hong Kong dollar when using an Octopus card is MOP1:HKD1. The two Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in Macau that adopted
2485-526: The Smart Octopus. All card value and reward points are transferred and held in the Samsung Pay app. The physical card is then deactivated and can no longer be used. Users can also choose to purchase a new Adult or Elder Smart Octopus in the app. Smart Octopus provides features like instant transaction notification and in-app top-up function. In-app top-ups initially incurred a 2.5% handling fee but this fee
2556-477: The Yellow Taxi Group in the New Territories . It was reported on 30 October that eight of the twenty taxis participating in the trial had dropped out. Part of the reason was technical – drivers needed to return to the office every day for accounting. Most taxi drivers in Hong Kong are self-employed and prefer to account their profit and rent on a daily basis, while Octopus transferred money through
2627-457: The adult fare. There are six fare zones – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 5A – for passengers purchasing single-ride tickets in Light Rail stops. Zone 5A was introduced solely for the latest extension in Tin Shui Wai , and both zones 5 and 5A are only connected to Zone 4. Therefore, travelling between zones 5 and 5A is considered as travelling through three zones. Octopus card fares are calculated based on
2698-596: The balance on their card, along with the 10 most recent Octopus transactions. If a Personalised Octopus card is used, the number of Light Rail credits accumulated is also shown. Passengers using Personalised Octopus cards are able to participate in the Light Rail Bonus Scheme. A card on which fares totalling HK$ 30 (adults) or HK$ 15 (children/seniors) or more are paid over six consecutive days gets an automatic credit of HK$ 3 (adults) or HK$ 1.5 (children/seniors). Passengers using Octopus cards that are registered with
2769-580: The card and reader based on the ISO 9798-2 three-pass mutual authentication protocol. In other words, data communications are only established when the card and reader have mutually authenticated based on a shared secret access key. This means that the security of the Octopus card system would be jeopardized should the access key be exposed. A stolen Octopus card reader could be used with stolen Octopus software, for example, to add value (up to HK$ 3,000) to any Octopus card without authorization. Nevertheless, as of 2003,
2840-446: The cardless Octopus, named "Smart Octopus", is available with Samsung Pay , a mobile payment platform provided by Samsung . By using the phone's NFC function and magnetic secure transmission (MST) technology, users can tap their selected Samsung devices on Octopus readers, paying in a similar way as a normal physical Octopus cards. Users can choose to transfer their card data from an existing anonymous On-Loan Adult or Elder Octopus to
2911-556: The commissioning of 30 Phase V LRVs, this will see the Phase II LRVs phased out. Withdrawals began on 28 August 2022, with the first two Phase II LRVs (1079 and 1204) removed from Tuen Mun Depot and sent to the scrapyard. On 26 February 2023, the last of the Phase II LRVs were officially withdrawn from service following a retirement ceremony. One of the retired cars now survives at the Ying Wa College and Primary School, transformed into
Light Rail (MTR) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2982-616: The completion of the West Rail (now Tuen Ma line) in December 2003. Many changes were made, mainly around the new railway stations. The KCRC designed most railway stations in the LRT area to interchange with the new West Rail line. The idea was to encourage passengers to use the West Rail line instead of the Light Rail for longer journeys, thereby freeing up LRT vehicles for passengers making shorter journeys. For this purpose, an interchange discount system
3053-531: The districts internally, most of them profitable. However, the government introduced the concept of the "Light Rail Service Area" in both districts, within which the LRT would monopolise all public transport services, forcing the KMB to withdraw all internal bus services in favour of the Light Rail. It also forced the KMB to impose boarding and alighting restrictions for external routes. It was decided that services between town centres and settlements would be provided solely by
3124-502: The first three based on age and different amounts of fare concession. With the exception of the Personalised cards, On-Loan cards are anonymous; no personal information, bank account, or credit card details are stored on the card, and no identification is required for the purchase of these cards. If an owner loses a card, only the stored value and the deposit of the card are lost. On-Loan Octopus cards may be purchased at all MTR stations,
3195-421: The iPhone or Apple Watch without needing to switch on the phone or authenticating the payment with Face ID , Touch ID , or password. Since 9 December 2020, Octopus card can be added to Huawei Pay. But it can only be used on Huawei phones sold in Hong Kong, Macau and China Users can download the Octopus app from Huawei AppGallery to purchase new Octopus cards or transfer physical Octopus cards. If users have
3266-685: The lack of vehicles and poor arrangement of new services. The KCRC has since modified the inside of some vehicles to allow more standing room for passengers during peak hours. They also made several route alterations to arrange them better. In addition to the reconfiguration of light rail tracks around the new West Rail stations, the system was extended to reach northern Tin Shui Wai to serve ongoing development there. The system's vehicles consist of five different types of LRVs . All LRVs are uni-directional with driving cab on one side only, 20.2 metres (66 ft 3 in) long, and have 3 sliding doors fitted on
3337-539: The left side (when facing the running direction from inside). This means that island platforms (except the triangular platform at Siu Hong stop ) cannot be used at all in the LRT system and the termini have to feature loops for LRVs to reverse in direction. Hong Kong and Kolkata are the only cities with unidirectional left-handed trams. Phase I LRVs were built by Comeng and put in service in 1988. They are numbered 1001–1070 and accommodate 43 seated passengers and 161 standees. The driver's cab interior and exterior design
3408-436: The many grade crossings between stops and the close proximity between stops in Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai. From the exterior it is difficult to differentiate between the first three types of LRVs. There are, however, distinct features that one can use to tell them apart; Phase III LRVs still retain their original green electronic displays while all other LRVs have new orange electronic displays. Phase I cars also have
3479-407: The minimum number of stops travelled (from origin to destination stops), rather than the number of fare zones travelled through. All stops have Octopus entry and exit processors at the entrances to and exits from platforms . Passengers may enter the system after scanning their Octopus card at an orange 'Entry Processor' reader. At this point, the maximum fare is deducted from the card. On completion of
3550-412: The only one with an honour system , in which there are no ticket gates. These fare zones apply only to passengers purchasing single-ride tickets from ticketing machines at LRT stops. Since the introduction of Octopus cards , however, passengers have a choice of ticketing options. All fares indicated below are for adults, while children and the elderly usually pay the concessionary fare, which is about half
3621-440: The other 10 are for expansion. Traction systems for Phase I and II LRVs consist of GTO thyristor choppers and DC traction motors provided by AEG , while those for the Phase III, IV and V LRVs consist of 2-level IGBT – VVVF inverters and asynchronous 3-phase AC traction motors provided by Mitsubishi Electric . The maximum speed for all LRVs is 80 km/h (50 mph), although they rarely reach that speed because of
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#17330858906303692-448: The others were confined to Tuen Mun. The system's first extension came for the southern and eastern parts of Tuen Mun. The eastern extension branches off the main line south of Siu Hong stop and crosses the river that runs through Tuen Mun immediately with a flyover. The line then runs along Castle Peak Road to a road north of the town centre, where it climbs to another flyover and rejoins the main route. The northern end of this extension
3763-482: The parent company of Octopus Cards Limited, in a naming competition in 1996. The number eight refers to the cardinal and ordinal directions , and the four-character idiom sei tùng baat daaht ( Chinese : 四 通 八 達 ), a common expression loosely translated as "reachable in all directions". Eight is also considered a lucky number in Chinese culture , and the phrase baat daaht can possibly be associated with
3834-456: The population of Hong Kong aged 15 to 64 and the system handles more than 15 million transactions, worth over HK$ 220 million, every day. The Octopus card system was the world's second contactless smart card system, after the Korean Upass . It won the Chairman's Award at the World Information Technology and Services Alliance 's 2006 Global IT Excellence Awards for, among other things, being
3905-406: The railway. In 1982, Hong Kong Tramways showed interest in building the system and running double-decker trams on it, before abandoning the project after negotiations over land premiums for related property development failed. The government sought another builder. The Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) was "heavily indebted" at the time, and so Secretary for Transport Alan Scott invited
3976-787: The same magnetic cards in 1984. The Common Stored Value Ticket was a version that held a balance for use over multiple trips. In 1989, the Common Stored Value Ticket system was extended to Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) buses providing a feeder service to MTR and KCR stations, and to Citybus . It was also extended to a limited number of non-transport applications, such as transactions and payments at photo booths and for fast food vouchers. In 1993, MTR Corporation announced it would move to use contactless smart cards. In 1994 it partnered with four other major transit companies in Hong Kong, Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation , Kowloon Motor Bus , Citybus , and Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry , to create
4047-407: The shares of Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry were transferred to New World First Bus and New World First Ferry . In the same year, together with MTR Corporation, the company changed from non-profit making status to a profit making enterprise. Due to the expansion of the company's businesses, Octopus Holdings Limited was established in 2005 with Octopus Cards Limited restructured as a subsidiary. Being
4118-530: The similar-sounding faat daaht , which means "getting wealthy" ( Chinese : 發 達 ) in Cantonese. The English name Octopus card was also selected in the naming competition. It also references the number eight, since an octopus has eight tentacles . The logo used on the card features an infinity symbol . The Octopus card was originally introduced for fare payment on the MTR; but usage quickly expanded to other retail businesses in Hong Kong. The card
4189-490: The taxi payment market with a new mobile app for taxi drivers. The mobile app is able to receive funds by tapping the passenger's Octopus card to the device's Near-field communication (NFC) reader, or by allowing passengers to scan a QR code. In October 2020, Octopus Cards Limited launched Octopus Mobile POS, a more compact version of the Octopus reader to help taxi drivers and small- and medium-sized retailers accept cashless payments. The new Octopus Mobile POS, that works with
4260-527: The town. The area was further developed in the next few years and the line was extended by two stops: Chestwood and Tin Wing stop in 1995 (Tin Shui Wai Terminus was renamed Tin Wing after the opening of West Rail line ). Two LRT routes were established, route 720 (now 751) to Yau Oi and route 721 Before Changed to (761) Then changed to (761P) to Yuen Long . The system remained essentially unchanged until
4331-459: The turnstile, deliberately triggering the fail-safe to avoid deduction of credit from their cards. If challenged they could blame a malfunction and present an Octopus card with a record of an unsuccessful transaction. The Octopus card system is owned and operated by Octopus Cards Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Octopus Holdings Limited . Founded as Creative Star Limited in 1994, it was renamed Octopus Cards Limited in 2002. In January 2001,
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#17330858906304402-691: The world's leading complex automatic fare collection and contactless smart card payment system. Its success led to the development of similar systems elsewhere, including Navigo card in Paris , Oyster card in London , Opal card in New South Wales , and NETS FlashPay and EZ-Link in Singapore . When Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway (MTR) began operations in 1979, it used recirculating magnetic stripe cards as fare tickets. The Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) adopted
4473-445: Was a coin shortage in Hong Kong in 1997. With the transfer of Hong Kong away from British rule, there was a belief that older Hong Kong coins embossed with Queen Elizabeth II 's head would rise in value, so many people held on to them waiting for their value to increase. The Octopus system was quickly adopted by other Creative Star partners. KMB reported that by 2000 most bus journeys were completed using an Octopus card. Boarding
4544-944: Was conceived for KCRC by Design Triangle in 1986. Phase II LRVs were built by Kawasaki and entered service in 1992. They are numbered 1071-1090/1201-1210 and accommodate 26 seated and 185 standees. Cars 1071–1090 are cab cars while 1201–1210 are cabless trailers. Phase III LRVs were built by A Goninan and entered service in 1997. They are numbered 1091–1110 and accommodate 26 seated and 212 standees. Phase IV LRVs were manufactured by United Group and CSR and entered service in December 2009. They are numbered 1111–1132 accommodate 37 seated and 248 standees. Phase I LRVs have two wheelchair positions while Phase II, III, IV and V LRVs have three positions. The newest Phase V LRVs were manufactured by CRRC Nanjing Puzhen and entered service on 17 November 2020. They are numbered 1133-1162/1211-1220; 1133-1162 are cab cars while 1211-1220 are cabless trailer. 30 of these are set to replace existing Phase II LRVs, while
4615-408: Was created in 1988 and was extended from On Ting to Yau Oi in 1992. On 14 July 2002, due to the Light Rail grade separation works on Pui To Road, the route was suspended in its entirety and replaced by bus route 506. The suspension was originally intended to be temporary, but the Light Rail route was never resumed. The Light Rail is the only public transport system in Hong Kong to have fare zones and
4686-969: Was deposited in the Octopus system at any given time as of 2000. On 6 November 2005, Octopus Cards Limited launched Octopus Rewards, a program that allows cardholders to earn rewards with participating merchants. Founding partners for the Octopus Rewards program included HSBC , UA Cinemas and Wellcome. The rewards are in the form of points, or reward dollars , stored on the card. The rate at which reward points are earned per dollar spent differs between merchants. Reward points can be redeemed as payment for purchases at partner merchants for at least HK$ 1 per reward dollar. New cards with greater levels of security were launched in 2015. Holders of first generation cards could voluntarily replace their cards at an Octopus Service Point without charge. From January 2018, first generation cards started to become unusable. From 26 March 2024 onwards, Octopus Card Limited launched
4757-419: Was extended to Sam Shing) and one feeder bus route (route 559) discontinued as a result of these changes. Tin Shui Wai was originally an area with numerous fish ponds , but was developed as a residential new town in the early 1990s. With the increase of internal commuter traffic demand, an LRT spur was built north of Hung Shui Kiu stop that opened in 1993, with four stops serving the initial housing areas of
4828-516: Was found that when customers added value to their cards at self-service add-value points in MTR and Light rail stations, their bank accounts were debited even if the transactions had been cancelled. Octopus Cards Limited claimed that the fault was due to an upgrade of communication systems. Initially, two cases were reported. The company then announced that use Electronic Payment Services (EPS) at add-value service points would be suspended until further notice, and that it had started an investigation into
4899-420: Was launched with the introduction of the West Rail line system, meaning that passengers would pay no more (and in some cases less) to travel on West Rail line instead of the LRT for the main part of their journey. Although this most recent extension is the largest ever, no new vehicles were purchased. And although rearrangements were made, some infrequent and unreliable services resulted, causing passengers to blame
4970-590: Was once one of four systems comprising the KCR network in Hong Kong, before the MTR–KCR merger in 2007. It has a daily ridership of about 483,000 people. The line is colour warm yellow on the map, formerly deep orange before the MTR–KCR merger. When Tuen Mun was developed in the 1970s, the Hong Kong government set aside space for the laying of rail tracks . There was uncertainty however as to which company would be chosen to build
5041-557: Was removed in June 2020 when support for Apple Pay was launched. Since 2 June 2020, Octopus cards can be added to Apple Pay. As Octopus cards use FeliCa technology, only Apple Watch 3 , iPhone 8 , and subsequent model are supported. Octopus for Tourists was launched in August 2020. Users can choose to create a virtual Octopus card inside Apple Pay by topping up with their loaded credit cards, or to transfer data from an existing physical Octopus card. It supports Apple Pay's Express Transit function, which allows payments to be made from
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