Wan Chai (Chinese: 灣仔) is a station on the Island line of the Hong Kong MTR rapid transit system. The livery colour is lime green. It serves the Wan Chai locality within the district of the same name. The station platforms are located underneath Hennessy Road, a major trunk road connecting the Central and Eastern districts.

Wan Chai

灣仔
MTR MTR rapid transit station
Platform 2 of Wan Chai station
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese灣仔
Simplified Chinese湾仔
Cantonese YaleWāanjái
Literal meaningLittle Bay
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinWānzǎi
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationWāanjái
JyutpingWaan1zai2
General information
LocationIntersection between Hennessy Road and O'Brien Road, Wan Chai
Wan Chai District, Hong Kong
Coordinates22°16′38″N 114°10′22″E / 22.2773°N 114.1728°E / 22.2773; 114.1728
Owned byMTR Corporation
Operated byMTR Corporation
Line(s)Island line
Platforms2 (2 split level side platforms)
Tracks2
Connections
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Platform levels2
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeWAC
History
Opened31 May 1985; 39 years ago (1985-05-31)
Services
Preceding station MTR MTR Following station
Admiralty
towards Kennedy Town
Island line Causeway Bay
towards Chai Wan
Route map
1
P1 (upper level)
2
P2 (lower level)
Location
Hong Kong MTR system map
Hong Kong MTR system map
Wan Chai
Location within the MTR system
Hong Kong MTR system map
Hong Kong MTR system map
Wan Chai
Wan Chai (Hong Kong urban core)
Hong Kong MTR system map
Hong Kong MTR system map
Wan Chai
Wan Chai (Hong Kong Island)

History

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The station was built under Southorn Playground. It opened along with the Island line on 31 May 1985. It was built by a Bachy Soletanche–Dragages joint venture and Japanese contractor Maeda.[1] Entrance D was opened for public on 22 December 2017. Its passageway crosses underneath Southorn Playground and Johnston Road, then joins the underground mall in Lee Tung Street Redevelopment Project.[2] It is expected to ease the overcrowding problem at entrance A3 and Johnston Road crossing.[3]

Station layout

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U1 Footbridge Footbridge along O'Brien Road towards Wan Chai North
(Immigration Tower, Central Plaza, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai Pier, Exhibition Centre)
G Ground level Exits
L1 Concourse Customer Service, MTRShops
Hang Seng Bank, vending machines, ATM
Octopus promotion machine
L3
Platform
Platform 1      Island line towards Chai Wan (Causeway Bay)
Side platform, doors will open on the right
Lower Concourse Customer Service
iCentre internet service
L5
Platform
Platform 2      Island line towards Kennedy Town (Admiralty)
Side platform, doors will open on the left

The platforms of Wan Chai station are constructed in a stacked arrangement, with Platform 1 above Platform 2.[4]

 
Platform 1 of Wan Chai station

Due to the large catchment of Wan Chai station and the locality as a business hub and centre for tourists, government offices, foreign embassies and institutions, the station houses more than 50 ticket gates as distributed across three ticket halls (two at the concourse and one at platform level). There are 8 station exits, two of which were constructed in 1999 to provide a more convenient reach for the southern areas of Wan Chai. The footbridge above O'Brien Road, which connects the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Immigration Tower (Immigration Department of Hong Kong) and the Star Ferry Pier (Wan Chai Pier), was extended to reach one of these new exits above Hennessy Road.

The tunnel for eastbound trains towards Causeway Bay station has once featured a mobile advertisement, which was presented in the form of a slideshow across the length of the tunnel. The large number of sequential panels allowed passengers to view the advertisement as a slideshow, as trains undertakes their journey to the next station.[5]

Usage and overcrowding

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As the only railway station of Wan Chai and its Central Business District, this station serves a large number of residents and commuters. In reference to consultation document Our Future Railway, average train loading from Wan Chai to Causeway Bay is approximately 71%. Government consultant analysed that there would not be significant drop by 2031, even if train frequency would increase.[6]

Entrances/exits

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  • A1: Lockhart Road
  • A2: Hennessy Road (Northern Side)
  • A3: Johnston Road
  • A4: Hennessy Road (By Wanchai Computer Centre)  
  • A5: Hennessy Road Footbridge  
  • B1/B2: Southorn Playground
  • C: Lockhart Road
  • D: Lee Tung Avenue  

References

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  1. ^ MTRC Island Line Opening Commemorative Book. Mass Transit Railway Corporation. 1985.
  2. ^ "New Subways and Station Entrances/Exits Wan Chai Station Lee Tung Street Subway". MTR. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  3. ^ "港鐵灣仔站利東街行人隧道 站利東街行人隧道工程 最新進展及臨時交通管理措施" (PDF). Wan Chai District Council. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  4. ^ "Wan Chai Station layout" (PDF). MTR Corporation. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  5. ^ "MTR Advertising | JCDecaux-Transport". www.jcdecaux-transport.com.hk. Archived from the original on 9 July 2013.
  6. ^ Our Future Railway (PDF). Hong Kong: Transport and Housing Bureau. 2013. p. 22.