Central station (MTR)

History

Early plans

Central station was included in the Hong Kong Mass Transport Study, a system proposed in September 1967. Together with Western Market station, it was intended to serve as an interchange station for the and Island line. In the recommended system, the Tsuen Wan line would terminate at (in the report also known as Naval Dockyard). The station was originally planned to be located under Des Voeux Road Central between Jubilee Street and Pedder Street.

In 1970, in the Hong Kong Mass Transit Further Studies, the station was proposed as two separate but connected stations: Chater station (遮打站) under Chater Road and Pedder station (必打站) under Pedder Street), which would serve the Kong Kow line (now Tsuen Wan line) and Island line respectively.

Modified Initial System and opening

Contracts 106 and 809, which consist of the construction of the two stations and tunnels, were awarded to Metro Joint Venture, comprising Hochtief AG, Dragages et Travaux Publics, Gammon (HK) Limited, and Sentab.

The station first opened as Chater station on 12 February 1980 as the terminus of Only a portion of the station came into operation as the Island line had not been opened yet.

The station was named Chater in English but 中環 in Chinese. This would be misleading as many thought that the Chinese name would be 遮打, a transliteration and the Chinese name of the namesake road.

When the Island line between Admiralty and Chai Wan opened on 31 May 1985, MTR renamed Chater to Central together with the renaming of some other stations on the Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan lines.

The English name of the station was changed to "Central" in 1982.

The construction contract for the station on the Island line was awarded to the Aoki/ joint venture. Construction for the Island line was carried out in early 1983 and connected the new platforms with the original structure. The Island line began servicing Central on 23 May 1986 when it was extended beyond Admiralty to Sheung Wan and the Island line platforms came into service.

Island line

The construction contract for the station on the Island line was awarded to the Aoki/Tobishima joint venture. Construction for the Island line was carried out in early 1983 and connected the new platforms with the original structure. The Island line began servicing Central on 23 May 1986 when it was extended beyond Admiralty to Sheung Wan and the Island line platforms came into service.

Passageway to Hong Kong station

One component of the Airport Core Programme between 1991 and 1998 was a railway connecting the new Hong Kong International Airport to the city centre. To link Central with the nearby Hong Kong station, the southern terminus of the Tung Chung line and the Airport Express, a passageway was built under Connaught Road Central to connect the two stations. The passageway starts at the Pedder Street concourse and was built with a design similar to that of Hong Kong station. The passage connects the paid areas of both stations (particularly from Central to the Tung Chung line of Hong Kong station). There is no unpaid link (though access to the Airport Express line at Hong Kong station from other lines at Central or vice versa requires an out-of-system transfer as the Airport Express line follows a separate fare scheme from the rest of the MTR system).

Station layout

Track layout Central station has four platforms on three levels.

The top level includes platform and is built beneath Des Voeux Road Central at the intersection of Pedder Street, stretching from World-Wide House to Alexandra House, on the northern side of the road. The platform serves Chai Wan-bound trains on the Island line and this level includes the connecting walkway to Hong Kong station.

The middle level includes platforms and using a shared island. They serve the Tsuen Wan line and were built directly under Chater Road, extending from Des Voeux Road Central to Club Street.

The bottom level, two levels from the top level, is platform , for Island line trains in the direction of Kennedy Town.

Passengers from platform transferring to platforms use the regular escalators on the Chater Road concourse. There are designated escalators from platforms to platform for the sole purpose of transfer.

The Tsuen Wan line platforms are straight and were built by cut-and-cover. Most of the length of the Island line platforms is the same, although the eastern part (towards ) is curved and the gap is large, as they are located in sections of bored tunnels and have the curved walls typical of most other stations on the Island line.

The end of the Admiralty stabling siding shared by Tsuen Wan and Island lines is located below the Tsuen Wan line platforms.

Entrances and exits

Central station stretches underneath Chater Road from Statue Square in the east and underneath Des Voeux Road to Li Yuen Street East in the west. The distance between the easternmost and westernmost exits is approximately 700m. There are 13 entrances, connecting buildings, shopping malls, main roads and ground transport facilities nearby.

; Pedder Street Concourse

• A : Connaught Road Central, Central Pier, Internation Finance Centre(IFC)

• B: World-wide House, Hang Seng Bank Headquarters
• C: Li Yuen Street (East & West)
• D1: Pedder Street
• D2: Queens Road Central, Lan Kwai Fong

; Chater Road Concourse

• E: Chater House, Chater Road

• F: St George's Building, Mandarin Oriental Hotel
• G: The Landmark

• H: Alexandra House

• J1: Court of Final Appeal
• J2: Chater Garden, Bank of China Tower, Peak Tram station, Cheung Kong Center
• J3: AIA Central, Bank of America Tower
• K: Statue Square, HSBC Main Building, Standard Chartered Bank Building
• L : CCB Tower

Transport connections

Central station is one of the major transport hubs of Hong Kong. It is commonly used as a connecting hub for commuters travelling from the Tung Chung line to the Island line, and Tsuen Wan line. The area around Central station and Hong Kong station offers a wide range of transport options, including the tramway, buses, ferries, minibuses and more. (See also Transport in Hong Kong)

• Bus
  • Citybus
  • KMB, serving only cross-harbour routes on Hong Kong Island
  • Nearby bus termini:
    • Central Piers Bus Terminus (exit A or E then via footbridge, of within paid area via Hong Kong station)
    • City Hall Bus Terminus (exit K then via tunnel)
    • Exchange Square Bus Terminus (exit A then via footbridge, or within paid area via Hong Kong station)
• Minibus
• Trams
  • Hong Kong Tramways (exits B, C, G and K)
  • Peak Tram (exit J2)
• Ferries (exit A to Central Ferry Piers)
  • Pier 2: Park Island Ferry, to Park Island
  • Pier 3: Discovery Bay Ferry, to Discovery Bay
  • Pier 4: Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry, to Sok Kwu Wan and Yung Shue Wan on Lamma Island
  • Piers 5 and 6: Sun Ferry, to Silvermine Bay (Mui Wo), Peng Chau and Cheung Chau
  • Pier 7: Star Ferry, to Tsim Sha Tsui

References

References

1. (3 December 1976). "MTR briefing for public". South China Morning Post.
2. Freeman, Fox. (1967). "Hong Kong Mass Transport Study". [[Wilbur Smith Associates.
3. (2023-09-19). "Specialist - Diaphragm Wall, Barrette & Slurry Wall".
4. (2016-05-20). "Hong Kong's favorite MTR station".
5. "MTR - 【港鐵冷知識】喺1985年1月23日，我哋當初為乘客更清晰地釐定車站嘅服務範圍，宣佈喺5月31日更改個別車站嘅名稱，以配合當年港島綫柴灣至金鐘站段喺1985年5月31日同日通車。 就係咁，以後油麻地站嘅英文名由「Waterloo」改用拼音「Yau Ma Tai」，旺角站嘅英文名由「Argyle」改用拼音「Mong Kok」，而荔灣站 （Lai Wan Station）則改名為做美孚站（Mei Foo Station）。 我哋會為FANS搜攞更多港鐵有關小知識，記得緊貼港鐵官方專頁啦！ [MTR Trivia] On 23 January 1985, MTR announced that the names certain station would be changed in order that they more closely reflect the areas they serve. The changes took effect on 31 May 1985 when the Island Line opened. The English names of Waterloo and Argyle stations were changed to Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok respectively, while Lai Wan Station became Mei Foo in both Chinese and English. Stay tuned for more trivia about MTR and its railway system. | Facebook".
6. (25 February 1985). "All change for MTR station names". South China Morning Post.
7. (1985). "MTRC Island Line Opening Commemorative Book". Mass Transit Railway Corporation.
8. "(map)".
9. Environment, Transport and Works Bureau. (February 2005). "LegCo paper no. CB(1)1012/04-05(03) - Legislative Council Panel on Transport - Subcommittee on matters relating to railways - Government's assessment on the independent review by Lloyd's Register Rail on the MTR system".
10. "Legislative Council Panel on Transport Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways Railway Service Performance (2005 to 2009)".
11. (November 2019). "Strong concern over the recurrence of train collision accident on the MTR Tsuen Wan Line".
12. {{MTRsource. layout. cen. Central. 30 July 2014
13. {{MTRsource. map. cen. Central. 30 July 2014