Lunar New Year transport boost: overnight MTR, border bus upgrades, lucky draw prizes

Hong Kong will ramp up transport services for the Lunar New Year, with the MTR running overnight on Lunar New Year’s Eve, special lucky draws offering a chance to win a year of free travel, and bus operators enhancing cross-border and airport routes.

To accommodate residents heading out for reunion dinners and festive markets on Lunar New Year’s Eve, the MTR will operate overnight on February 16 across all local rail lines, except the Airport Express and Disneyland Resort Line. Services will be strengthened from the afternoon, with evening peak frequencies brought forward from 3pm.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, when a fireworks display lights up Victoria Harbour, seven railway lines — the Kwun Tong Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Island Line, South Island Line, Tuen Ma Line, East Rail Line and Tung Chung Line — will increase frequencies to cope with demand. Train services will also be enhanced on various lines between February 13 and February 23, with more than 600 additional trips scheduled in total.

The Airport Express will introduce earlier departures between February 14 and 16, with the first train leaving Hong Kong Station at 5.25am. Late-night services will also be extended on February 19 and 22, with the final departure from AsiaWorld-Expo Station pushed back to 1am.

The High Speed Rail (Hong Kong section) will add 13 pairs of daily trains between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and Futian Station from February 13 to 15 and from February 18 to 23 following discussions with mainland railway authorities.

Adding a festive touch, the MTR will host a lucky draw campaign from February 13 to 26. Passengers who say “Happy Year of the Horse” to the virtual assistant Tracy at nine designated stations — including Central, Admiralty, Causeway Bay, Quarry Bay, Kai Tak and Lo Wu — can enter a lucky draw for prizes ranging from free single journeys and shopping vouchers to the grand prize of a year of free MTR travel.

Bus operators will also step up services during the holiday period. KMB and Long Win anticipate heavy passenger flows at boundary control points and airport routes and will enhance services linking urban districts with the High Speed Rail station, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port and major land crossings.

Key routes such as W2 and W3 serving West Kowloon Station will see increased frequencies, while several other routes passing the station will also be strengthened. To make it easier for passengers, bus stops for relevant routes will carry labels indicating “via: High Speed Rail Station.”

Cross-border routes including B1, B9 and B9A will operate at peak intervals of as frequent as 10 to 20 minutes, while services connecting to Heung Yuen Wai and Lok Ma Chau will also be stepped up. An overnight N73 special bus service will run from February 17 to 19, linking MTR Sheung Shui Station to San Tin after East Rail Line services to Lo Wu end, allowing passengers to transfer to the Huanggang border crossing, which operates 24 hours.

KMB and Long Win will continue to offer interchange concessions, allowing passengers who transfer between designated boundary or airport routes using Octopus or electronic payment to enjoy a free ride on the lower-fare leg.

Meanwhile, Citybus will allow eligible children to travel free on 14 airport routes from February 14 to March 1. The operator will also enhance urban and airport express services, with peak services to Shenzhen Bay and Heung Yuen Wai running at intervals as short as five minutes.

A28X, the new express route via the Central Kowloon Bypass, will operate extended morning services during the holiday period, while route 798 between Tseung Kwan O and Sha Tin will be upgraded to all-day service from February 17 to 22 to facilitate festive visits.

Tourist services will also join the celebrations. Citybus will operate themed routes passing locations associated with the Chinese character “horse,” such as Ma On Shan and Happy Valley. An open-top sightseeing service, H66 “Lucky Tour,” will run nightly from February 13 to 23, taking passengers along Victoria Harbour to welcome the Year of the Horse with sea views and festive lights.