Tuen Mun South & Hung Shui Kiu
The West Rail Line will be extended from Tuen Mun station southwards to Tuen Mun South, where there will be another station. Even though Tuen Mun South is already served by light rail, light rail services that travel there are already overcrowded, and there are capacity constraints to adding more light rail vehicles. As a result, the West Rail Line will be extended, and having a heavy rail link is more sustainable for population growth. This extension will also reduce travel time for residents living in the area. It is estimated that the travel time for the extension to Tuen Mun station would be four minutes, which is a lot faster than travel by light rail. This extension can also enhance connectivity between Yuen Long and Tuen Mun districts by relieving congestion on the light rail network. In addition to Tuen Mun South, there will be another station between Tin Shui Wai and Siu Hong: Hung Shui Kiu. This new station will serve the future Hung Shui Kiu new town, which is expected to have a population of around 60,000 to 100,000 or above, meaning the existing light rail system would not be able to cope.
Siu Sai Wan Extension
Siu Sai Wan is an area that is currently unserved by MTR. Its residents, who have been requesting the implementation of the extension, need to take a bus to nearby Chai Wan station if they wish to take the MTR. If a station is to be built there, there will be a branch of the Island line from Heng Fa Cheun to Siu Sai Wan. If an extension were to be made from Chai Wan station, many buildings would need to be demolished, as such; this is not a viable option. If there is a split in the line at Heng Fa Cheun, service frequency at Chai Wan will reduce, which may affect residents there. MTR Corporation has said that the population of Siu Sai Wan (80,000) is not enough to justify the costs of the construction of the extension, and the area is already well served by buses, therefore, the proposal is shelved. Should there be land reclamation in the area to increase the population, the proposal may realize.
East Rail Line
It is possible to have additional stations on the East Rail Line. Firstly, Science Park station will serve the Science Park between University and Tai Po Market. Another station, Wo Che, between Sha Tin and Fo Tan, will serve Wo Che estate and the surrounding area. Since the distance between Sha Tin and Fo Tan is quite far, residents living right between the stations need to walk very far to reach an MTR station. Therefore, a station should be built in between them. The distance between Kowloon Tong and Mong Kok East, and Mong Kok East and Hung Hom is quite far. Since the areas in between these stations are densely populated, but are out of walking distance from an MTR station, it is reasonable to add some MTR stations on the line. These stations are Yau Yat Cheun and King’s Park. It is also possible to create an express service Lo Wu and Tai Wai, as that section is double-tracked, meaning express trains can overtake local trains that stop at every station. The express service could stop at Lo Wu, Sheung Shui, and Fanling, before going all the way to Shatin, where the service calls at every station. An express service could significantly reduce travel time to and from the Northern District and the mainland. This will benefit residents of the area, as well as improve transport between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Additionally, an express service would reduce crowding on the East Rail Line and provide more space for people living down the line.