LCQ18: Passenger seats on platforms of railway stations
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    Following is a question by the Hon Emily Lau and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, at the Legislative Council meeting today (November 14):

Question:

     Regarding the installation of seats, for use by passengers awaiting boarding, on platforms of railway stations of the MTR Corporation Limited and the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, will the Executive Authorities inform this Council whether they know:

(a) when the two railway corporations started installing seats on the platforms of their stations, and the numbers and names of the stations in which seats have not yet been installed on the platforms;

(b) the expenses incurred so far by the two railway corporations for installing such seats, and the amount of money required for installing seats on the platforms of all stations; and

(c) if the two railway corporations plan to install seats on the platforms of all stations; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) and Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) have started to install seats at station platforms since 1995 and 1983 respectively.  At present, most station platforms are provided with seats. Platforms that have not been provided with seats are set out below:

  Railway Line         Station platform
MTR Tsuen Wan Line  Tsuen Wan Station Platform 1
MTR Island Line     Sheung Wan Station Platform 2
                    Quarry Bay Station Platforms 1
                    to 4
KCR East Rail       Hung Hom Station Platforms 5
                    and 6
                    Lo Wu Station Platforms 1 and 4
KCR Light Rail      Leung King Stop Platform 1
                    Shan King (N) Stop Platform 1
                    On Ting Stop Platforms 1 and 2
                    Fung Nin Road Stop Platforms 1
                    and 2
  Total                 16


(b) & (c)  Over the past years, MTRCL and KCRC have invested about $3.8 million and $6.2 million respectively in the installation of seats at station platforms.

     MTRCL will install additional seats at various station platforms by end 2007, including the four platforms at Quarry Bay Station which currently do not have seats. As regards the Tsuen Wan Station Platform 1 and Sheung Wan Station Platform 2, since they are the terminal stations of the Tsuen Wan Line and the Island Line respectively and are intended for alighting passengers only, the Corporation does not plan to provide seats at these two platforms.

     KCRC currently has no plan to install more seats at station platforms. According to KCRC, Platforms 5 and 6 of the Hung Hom Station are for intercity service. Since a departure lounge has already been provided at the Station, the Corporation does not see a need to install seats at these platforms. As for Lo Wu Station Platforms 1 and 4, these are used by East Rail trains heading to Tsim Sha Tsui East. Passengers travelling to Tsim Sha Tsui East will first wait in the waiting area at the concourse. Passageway to the platforms will only be opened when trains have arrived at either Platforms 1 or 4 for boarding. In the light of this, KCRC does not consider the need to install seats at these platforms.  For Light Rail, at present over 95% of the platforms have provided seats. As regards the six platforms set out in (a) above, the Corporation has no plan to install seats at these platforms because the provision of seats may impact on passenger flow given the constraints posed by the design of and limited space available at these platforms.

Ends/Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:16

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