THE PEAK TRAM is a funicular railway in Hong Kong, which carries both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island. Running from Garden Road Admiralty to Victoria Peak via the Mid-Levels, it provides the most direct route and offers good views over the harbour and skyscrapers of Hong Kong
Operated since 1888, it was the first funicular railway in Asia
The Peak Tram is owned and operated by Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH), the owner of Hong Kong's Peninsula Hotel along with other properties
The line, along with HSH's Peak Tower leisure complex at the line's summit, is promoted using the brand The Peak
After a lengthy renovation and upgrade project, the Peak Tram reopened on 27 August 2022
The Peak Tram's route from Central district to Victoria Peak covers a distance of about 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) and an elevation of just under 400 metres (1,312 ft)
The lower terminus station, Central, is located on Garden Road near St. John's Cathedral
The original station was incorporated into St. John's Building, an office tower, with the tram terminus at the ground level
The station comprises a single track, with platforms on both sides. One platform is used for boarding, the other for exiting the tram
The upper terminus-The Peak, is located below the Peak Tower shopping and leisure complex at Victoria Gap, some 150 metres (490 ft) below the summit of Victoria Peak
The station has the same arrangement of boarding and alighting platforms as the lower terminus
The haulage and control equipment for the funicular is located in a basement below the station
The line has two pronounced curves, one to the left immediately after leaving the lower terminus, and the other to the right in the upper half of the ascent. The gradient also varies considerably throughout the ascent
The Peak Tram is a single track funicular railway, that is, a railway where a pair of carriages act as counterweights for each other, one going up, the other down
Its passing loop is located uphill from the May Road station. The track is two rails except for an approximately 400m long section which includes the passing loop.
In the downhill direction, the track transitions to three rails just before the start of the upper curve
On the straight below the upper curve it changes to a fairly short four rail section where the two carriages pass each other
The track then reverts to two rails just uphill of the May Road station - this point can be seen looking uphill from the May Road overbridge
STATISTICS
The Peak Tram is a funicular railway, with the following technical parameters
Length : 1364 metres (4475 ft)
Height : 28 metres (92 ft) to 396 metres (1299 ft)
Maximum Steepness : 48%
Track Gradient : 4-27 degrees
Cars : 2 two-car train sets
Car Builder: CWA-Switzerland
Capacity : 210 passengers per train set
Configuration : Single track with passing loop
Journey time : average 5 minutes
Maximum speed : 6 metres per second (19.69 ft/s; 13.42 mph)
Track gauge : 1520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) Russian gauge
Traction : Electric
SYSTEM MAP
Garden Road (until 2019)
Central Terminus
Cotton Tree Drive
Kennedy Road
Disused tram depot
MacDonnell Road
Bowen Road (until 1985)
Magazine Gap Road
May Road
Passing loop
Barker Road
The Peak Terminus
HISTORY
It took three years to build the Peak Tram
Most of the heavy equipment and rails needed for the construction were hauled uphill by the workers with no mechanical support
As a revolutionary new form of transport for Asia at the time, the tramway was considered a marvel of engineering upon its completion
A wooden structure was built for the terminal
The Peak Tram was opened for public service on 28 May 1888 by the then governor Sir George William des Voeux
As built, the line used a static steam engine to power the haulage cable
From 1908 to 1949-the first two seats in the front of the tram were reserved for the governor of Hong Kong, to which was attached a bronze plaque reading: "This seat is reserved for His Excellency the Governor". The seats were not available to ordinary passengers until two minutes before departure
An additional fourth generation car is displayed near the upper terminal, now serving as a Tourism Board Information Center
None of the cars from the first three generations exist, but a replica of the first car is displayed in the Peak Tram Historical Gallery
The Peak Tram Upgrade Project
In view of the continuous increase in the number of tourists visiting Hong Kong, passenger usage of the tram was increasing by more than one digit percentage every year, especially on Sundays and public holidays
It was taking at least two hours to board; passenger demand far exceeded capacity. By 2012, average daily passenger usage reached 12,000, of which around 90% were tourists
New tram carriages with longer bodies, passenger capacity from 120 to 210, new power & towing systems, rail, control & signal systems/cables
After 14 months-the tram was reopened on 27 August 2022
Негізгі бет THE PEAK TRAM 6 ON THE PEAK
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