Hong Kong MTR Map 2026: Lines, Tickets & Prices

Hong Kong MTR Map: Key Facts at a Glance

• Nine MTR lines plus the Airport Express reach 99 heavy-rail stations across a 237 km network.
• Trains start running between about 05:30 and 06:00 and continue until around 01:00, with the exact times depending on station and direction.
• The Airport Express reaches Hong Kong Station from the airport in 24 minutes and costs HK$120.00 (≈US$15.31) with Octopus, contactless or transit QR.
• Citybus S1 to Tung Chung plus the Tung Chung Line gets you to Hong Kong Station for HK$31.60 (approximately US$4.03), about 74% less than the HK$120.00 Airport Express fare.
• On the Island Line a train comes every 1.9 minutes in the weekday morning peak and every 3.6 to 5 minutes off-peak.

Current Hong Kong MTR service updates

East Rail Line services are being enhanced on seven weekends from July 18 through August 30, 2026. Check the current service notices before travel.

The bilingual Hong Kong MTR system map labels stations and lines in English and Traditional Chinese. It shows nine MTR lines plus Airport Express, while Light Rail uses a separate diagram.

The latest official map available in July 2026 was last modified in September 2024, so it is not a newly designed 2026 edition.

Airport Express appears on the MTR system map because it is part of MTR heavy rail, but it uses a separate fare table. Stations under construction are not yet open to passengers.

Hong Kong’s MTR grew from one line with nine stations in 1979 into one of the world’s busiest urban rail systems. The first public section opened between Kwun Tong and Shek Kip Mei on October 1, 1979.

MTR Corporation Limited operates nine commuter lines and the separately listed Airport Express. The January 2026 definition gives heavy rail a route length of 237 km and 99 stations, deliberately separating it from one HSR station, 26 km of HSR and the Light Rail network.

The 2025 patronage total was 1,958.5 million local journeys. This is not a metro-only count: MTR combined domestic, cross-boundary, HSR, Airport Express, Light Rail and bus journeys in that figure.

Hong Kong MTR Lines at a Glance

• Kwun Tong Line (green): Whampoa to Tiu Keng Leng
• Tsuen Wan Line (red): Tsuen Wan to Central
• Island Line (dark blue): Kennedy Town to Chai Wan
• South Island Line (light green): Admiralty to South Horizons
• Tseung Kwan O Line (purple): North Point to Po Lam or LOHAS Park
• Tung Chung Line (orange): Hong Kong to Tung Chung
• Disneyland Resort Line (pink): Sunny Bay to Disneyland Resort
• East Rail Line (light blue): Admiralty to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau
• Tuen Ma Line (brown): Tuen Mun to Wu Kai Sha
• Airport Express (teal): Hong Kong to AsiaWorld-Expo via Airport, with its own fare table

How Do You Read the Hong Kong Metro Map?

Start with the line color and English line name, then identify an interchange symbol and the destination shown on the train. This matters on the Tseung Kwan O Line and East Rail Line, which have branches.

The diagram is schematic rather than geographically exact. A visual crossing is not necessarily a transfer, and the citywide route diagram does not replace station exit information. MTR provides location maps and station layouts that show nearby buildings and exits.

For a departure-specific route, use the official Trip Planner. It calculates the route, estimated time, fare and transfers for the selected journey. MTR is the official local name; international visitors may also see the network described as Hong Kong’s metro or subway.

Which Rail Systems Are Separate from the Hong Kong MTR?

Light Rail is a separate MTR subsystem in the north-west New Territories. It has 68 stops across 36.15 km and connects with the Tuen Ma Line at Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai, Siu Hong and Tuen Mun.

Hong Kong Tramways, often called the Ding Ding, and Peak Tram are separate systems with their own operators. Peak Tram is a funicular, not another MTR line. High Speed Rail also sits outside the nine commuter-line count and appears as a connection at Hong Kong West Kowloon.

The easiest tourist workflow has four steps: identify the destination station, choose the line and interchange, select one payment method, then use the same method to enter and exit the paid area.

On regular MTR services other than Airport Express, one item of baggage may total no more than 170 cm, with no side over 130 cm.

The table links nine visitor destinations to their lines, stations and practical connections.

Airport Express is the direct premium option. The train reaches Hong Kong Station in 24 minutes with no transfer and costs HK$120.00 (approximately US$15.31) using Octopus, contactless or transit QR, or HK$130.00 (approximately US$16.58) with a Smart Ticket.

The lower-cost airport alternative combines Citybus S1 to Tung Chung Station for HK$3.70 (approximately US$0.47) with the Tung Chung Line to Hong Kong Station for HK$27.90 (approximately US$3.56). The HK$31.60 (approximately US$4.03) total saves HK$88.40 (approximately US$11.28), about 74%, compared with the HK$120.00 Airport Express fare. Travel time varies with bus traffic and the transfer wait at Tung Chung.

The timetable effective June 1, 2026 lists city-bound Airport Express departures from Airport between 05:54 and 00:48. Check the live timetable before a time-critical trip.

Normal commuter fares are distance-based. A physical Single Journey Ticket covers one ride to a selected destination on the day of purchase, while Octopus stores value and works across more transport modes.

Airport Express uses a separate fare table. The Adult Tourist Day Pass is an unlimited 24-hour visitor product, but it excludes Airport Express, East Rail First Class and the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau stations.

Approximate USD prices use HK$1 = approximately US$0.127547 based on ECB reference rates for July 17, 2026. Your card issuer’s exchange rate may differ.

Single Journey Tickets are available from ticket machines at every station, and MTR Mobile supports selected e-tickets. Use the same card, device or QR wallet to enter and exit.

For example, adult Octopus costs HK$5.90 (approximately US$0.75) from Central to Causeway Bay and HK$10.60 (approximately US$1.35) from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui. Octopus is not cheaper on every route.

A Sold Tourist Octopus is a stored-value card, not an unlimited pass, and its card cost is non-refundable.

The On-Loan card’s deposit and balance are generally refundable, although an HK$11.00 (approximately US$1.40) or 1% handling fee applies under specified triggers, including return within 90 days.

Open-loop Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay Contactless became available on Airport Express on May 31, 2026. They charge the Adult-Octopus fare but provide no concession or subsidy and still do not work on Light Rail or MTR Bus.

At Tsim Sha Tsui and East Tsim Sha Tsui, a journey using contactless or transit QR is charged as two rides. Transit QR wallets also differ from an online Airport Express ticket QR, and eligibility depends on the provider, account and card.

There is no single first or last train for the whole network. Services generally begin around 05:30 or 06:00 and run until about 01:00, but station, line, direction and destination determine the usable departure.

At Central, Island Line trains start at 06:07 in both directions. The last listed departure is 01:04 toward Kennedy Town and 00:58 toward Chai Wan. At Tsim Sha Tsui, trains toward Central run from 06:04 to 00:54, while trains toward Tsuen Wan run from 06:11 to 00:59.

MTR does not allow entry less than five minutes before the listed last train. Island Line service is every 1.9 minutes in the weekday morning peak, 2.1 minutes in the evening peak and 3.6 to 5 minutes off-peak. Airport Express runs every 10 minutes in the regular frequency table.

Early morning and late evening gaps reach 12 minutes on most listed heavy-rail services and up to 21 minutes on East Rail north of Sheung Shui. Check the official station-specific service hours for the travel date.

Regular heavy rail is not a 24-hour service. Overnight bus routes N11 and N21 connect the airport with Hong Kong Island and the Nathan Road corridor.

Check HKeMobility or Citybus for departure times on your travel date.

Which MTR App Should You Use in Hong Kong?

MTR Mobile is the official journey-planning app for Android and iOS.

MTR Mobile’s Trip Planner shows routes, estimated times, fares, transfers and first or last trains. The app also provides Next Train information, carriage occupancy, station exits and facilities, disruption updates and alternatives. Mobile Octopus and supported e-tickets are separate wallet or product functions.

Hong Kong MTR’s current network does not yet include the planned extension stations named in this section. Treat them as future stops until MTR confirms passenger service.

Which Hong Kong MTR Extensions Are Under Construction?

• Tung Chung Line Extension: both tunnel-boring drives to Tung Chung West were completed by June 22, 2026. Tung Chung East and Tung Chung West target 2029.
• Northern Link Main Line: full construction began on October 3, 2025. The 10.7 km route from Kwu Tung to Kam Sheung Road targets completion no later than 2034.
• Northern Link Spur Line: the roughly 5 km Hong Kong section was gazetted on June 26, 2026. The project targets 2034 or earlier with the Main Line.

• Kwu Tung Station: civil works were substantially complete by November 2025, but the future East Rail and Northern Link interchange is scheduled to open in 2027 and is not yet in passenger service.
• Tuen Mun South Extension: the 2.4 km extension adding A16 and Tuen Mun South remained under construction in July 2026 and targets 2030.
• Hung Shui Kiu and Oyster Bay: these future infill stations are expected or scheduled for the end of 2030. Oyster Bay bored piling was 79% complete at the end of 2025.

The Airport Railway Extended Overrun Tunnel adds about 460 m east of Hong Kong Station to improve turnback capacity. Its 2025 to 2032 program adds no passenger station.

Fun Fact: MTR’s historical annual report recorded 285,000 passengers on October 1, 1979, the first day of public service. That opening section had one line and nine stations between Kwun Tong and Shek Kip Mei.