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The former runway area of Kai Tak has always felt like a bit of a transport dead zone – because let’s be honest: who’s walking all the way to the end of the cruise terminal? – but it looks as though that will soon change as the government has officially given the green light to a new 3.5-km transit system that will zip passengers from the heart of the district right down to the tip of the pier.
The Smart and Green Mass Transit System (SGMTS) is set to feature six dedicated stations, with a proposed route going from Kai Tak Station Square to Kai Tak Sports Park, Shing Fung Road Park, and the Kai Tak Sky Garden, before passing over Shing King Street and finishing up at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. This new link is essentially the glue for the entire district, designed to strengthen the connectivity between residential areas, commercial hubs, as well as sports and community facilities that have been popping up along the waterfront.
The SGMTS will utilise elevated tracks and autonomous electric vehicles, meaning the transit system will bypass traffic on Shing Fung Road entirely. Commuters and weekend explorers can expect to traverse the entire length of the line in approximately 10 minutes, which is a significant upgrade for anyone who has ever been stranded at the cruise terminal waiting for a bus.
While the project is moving ahead, a little patience will be required before the first trains hit the tracks as the actual commissioning is set for 2031. It’s been a long wait for those of us who have been wanting to explore the area properly but were put off by the lack of accessibility, so we’re certainly excited to see what other brilliant new openings this new transit system will bring to the waterfront!
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