Detailed planning and negotiations for construction and financing of the Kowloon-Canton Railway (“KCR”) commenced in 1905. The KCR (British Section), operating as a Hong Kong Government Department, was completed and formally opened on 1st October 1910. The Chinese Section ( “CKR”) running from the border at Lo Wu to Canton was completed a year later opening on 5th October 1911.
KCR ceased to exist as separate entity on 1st December 2007 , only two months after its 100th anniversary, having been absorbed into the Mass Transit Railway ( MTR”) network.
Type
Government
Status
Inactive
Date organisation created
Date organisation closed
Photos of this organisation:
(see more)Photos of this organisation:
1908
1909
1909
Comments
Financial Arrangement for the Kowloon-Canton Railway
As early as 1864, British railway engineers proposed building a railway connecting mainland China and Hong Kong; however, this suggestion was not seriously considered until about 30 years later.
In 1898, the British government requested the Qing government to grant the British & Chinese Corporation loans and construction privileges for five railways, including the construction and operation of a railway from Kowloon to Guangzhou.
The company encountered difficulties in raising funds in the early stages, and subsequently split the project into two parts. The section within Hong Kong (from Tsim Sha Tsui to Lo Wu, then called the "British Section") was constructed by the Hong Kong government; while the "Chinese Section," from Lo Wu to Guangzhou, was financed by a loan from the Anglo-Chinese Bank to the Qing government.
In September 1905, the Hong Kong Legislative Council approved funding for the British Section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway to conduct track surveys, and construction officially began the following year.
The over 35-kilometer-long British Section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway was completed and opened to traffic on October 1, 1910, becoming an important land transportation route between Kowloon and the New Territories and Guangzhou.
In 1907, the Qing government signed the "Kowloon-Canton Railway Loan Contract" with the Anglo-Chinese Bank; the Anglo-Chinese Bank issued £1.5 million in bonds that same year to raise funds for the construction of the Chinese Section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway.
Construction began in July on the 142.77-kilometer-long Chinese Section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway, and it was completed and opened to traffic on October 4, 1911.
KCRC still exist as a Government Corporation
Following the merger of the two railway companies, the MTR Corporation (now known as the MTR Corporation) officially leased the Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) network operating rights from the government for 50 years (until 2057) through a service operation rights agreement on December 2, 2007, for approximately HK$41.8 billion including revenue sharing rights.
This arrangement allowed the MTR to gain operational control without assuming the KCR's existing debt of over HK$10 billion, while continuing to fulfill the KCR's original financial responsibilities, such as cross-border train leases.
The "true owners" of the trains and stations still belong to the KCRC.
However, if the KCRC does not renew the lease upon its expiration in 2057, the East Rail Line, West Rail Line, and related properties may "return" to the KCRC.
KCR and MTR Lines integrated in 2022
The KCR, now under a leasing contract last until year 2057, operate by MTR.
Physically, the KCR and MTR Lines were integrated in 2022, via the East Rail Line service to Admiralty Station commenced on May 15, 2022. This marked the grand opening of the East Rail Line Cross-Harbour Extension.
Extension Route: Extended past Hung Hom and Exhibition Centre stations straight to Admiralty on Hong Kong Island.
Travel Time: Takes about 13 minutes from Admiralty to Kowloon Tong without any transfers.
Interchange Hub: Transformed Admiralty into a four-line mega interchange station connecting the East Rail, Island, Tsuen Wan, and South Island lines.