A train refurbished in the iconic red-and-white style of Hong Kong’s first-generation carriages from 1979 has been launched as part of the MTR Corporation’s 45th anniversary celebrations.
The refurbished train – with a red stripe on a white front and interiors with retro fittings – was launched at Choi Hung station on Thursday amid much fanfare, and will be displayed for viewing at the stop on Saturday.
MTR Corp chief executive Jacob Kam Chak-pui said: “Everyone can once again reminisce about the past and experience old collective feelings and memories.”
The train will run on selected urban lines such as the Kwun Tong line, Island line, Tseung Kwan O line and Tsuen Wan line until the end of the year, but the exact dates of its operation on each line have yet to be announced.
The 45th Anniversary themed train has a design that hearkens back to the original carriages built for the rail operator by the British train manufacturer Metro-Cammell, which closed in 2005.
MTR Corp modernised its trains between 1997 and 2001 with new components and replaced its red-and-white front with a silver-grey one.
The interior of the refurbished carriages features elements from its first-generation antecedents, such as ball-shaped straphangers, orange-yellow ceilings and amber lighting, to recreate the feel of commuting in the earliest MTR trains.
Besides the retro decor, some carriages of the 45th anniversary train are decorated with posters showing the evolution of Hong Kong’s railway system, and also feature characters from the popular “My Boy” comics from the late 1970s to 1980s.
Railway fan Aaron Kei Chun-on, 30, said seeing the decor of the train transported him back in time to his childhood.
“Seeing the decorations and lighting that I remembered as a child, it’s very impressive,” he said.
“It’s as if time has gone backwards and I am back in the 90s, growing up as a child and just starting to become interested in the railway,” he added.
