Webmaster's Note: Please note the Chinese in this article is encoded in Big-5, traditional Chinese characters. Another article written by Peter (on Woosung Road, China's first railway) can be found here. He is also the author of Woosung Road.

1^st October 1910, the 22.24 mile long single-tracked British Section from Tsim-sha-tsui to Lo-wu was formally opened by H.E. the Officer Administering the Government, Sir Henry May, accompanied by Lady May. Also presiding was  General Manager Edward S. Lindsey who had replaced Eves in January 1910.

6th December 1910, a 29 mile section of the Chinese Section was opened to the public by the Viceroy of Canton. A ceremonial train left Canton for a 24 mile ride to Tong Mei. (唐美)The newly appointed Chinese Managing Director CHAO Ching-hua ( 趙慶華 ), who was educated at the Hong Kong Diocesan School, and Traffic Manager C.T. Liu directed the proceedings.

1913, the Taipo Market railway station (now the museum) was completed and opened for service, and the two sections of the railway cooperated to offer a fast service to between Kowloon and Canton  taking about 4¼hours. The fares were HK$4 First Class, HK$2 Second Class and 95 Cents Third Class. In the same year the design for Tsim-sha-tsui terminal building was finalized and construction commenced under the direction of chief architect A.R. Hubback.

28 March 1916, the Tsim-sha-tsui railway terminal building was fully commissioned.

September 1921, the railway acquired two USA-built motor coaches from the Hall-Scott Motor Car Company and these were placed on local trains in addition to the traditionally steam-hauled ones.

1^st April 1928, the Fanling to Sha Tau Kok narrow gauge line was closed with the relatively new Bagnall engines being sold to Victorias sugar mill on Negros Occidentale in the Philippines.

1936, Hall-Scott Motor Coach No.1 was totally rebuilt and refurbished as a 1^st Class lounge & observation car, which included a separate cocktail bar and smoking lounge. The interior was lined with French polished teak wood and to complete the luxury deep-padded armchair type seats were fitted. The exterior was finished in a blue and silver livery. The coach, which was named the “Taipo Belle”, proved particularly popular with weekend golfers on their way to Fanling golf course. On 14 October the Taipo Belle made a record breaking run to Canton in only 2 hours 15 minutes which compares very favourably with today’s through train services. At the end of the year the other motor coach was given a similar facelift but on this occasion the newly named “Canton Belle” was finished in a dark green and silver livery, entering service in 1937.

22^nd August 1937, a short connecting line was opened around Canton linking the Canton-Kowloon railway with the Canton-Hankow line, and for the first time through-traffic was able to pass between Hong Kong and Hankow and thence on to Peking. This was achieved under the direction of the Chinese Nationalist Government’s Minister of Communications, CHANG Kia-Ngau (張嘉璈) in spite of immense opposition from Kwangtung provincial officials. The opposition arose because Cantonese merchants believed that the direct rail link would diminish Canton’s importance as a cargo transhipment centre. The usefulness of this new link was, however, to be short-lived as war was soon to break out resulting in the disruption of much of China’s railway operations.

1946/7, Following the war, the railway was badly in need of locomotives and rolling stock. The British Government had, at this time, numerous surplus War Department engines and 12 of these were offered to Hong Kong at nominal cost. The first six of these “Austerity” class 2-8-0 tender locomotives arrived during 1946 with a further six being delivered the following year. These engines served the railway (although not without considerable maintenance difficulties) until the mid 1950’s when a decision was taken to invest in new diesel-electric locomotives.

October 1949, Following the communist liberation of China through-train services to Canton were discontinued.

5^th September 1955, the first two Australian manufactured G12 class 1,125 h.p. locomotives entered service with Nos. 51 & 52  being named “Sir Alexander” and “Lady Maureen” respectively.

2^nd September 1962, the last of the KCR’s (British Section) steam locomotives was withdrawn from service and sold for scrap.

29-30^th September 1975, the old Tsim Sha Tsui was closed and the new Hung Hom station opened in readiness for the extensive modernization programme which had commenced. This comprised the double-tracking and electrification of the entire railway up to the border at Lowu, a process which was completed in 1983. 

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