Hong Kong’s MTR: Taking a ride on the world’s most envied metro system

By Maggie Hiufu Wong, CNN
9 minute read
Updated 12:45 AM EDT, Tue March 31, 2015
Hong Kong's 218-kilometer metro network serves 1.6 billion passengers per year. In comparison, the London Underground network stretches 402 kilometers and serves 1.3 billion passengers per year.
Is this the world's best metro? —
Hong Kong's 218-kilometer metro network serves 1.6 billion passengers per year. In comparison, the London Underground network stretches 402 kilometers and serves 1.3 billion passengers per year.
MIKE CLARKE/AFP/Getty Images
The Super Operations Control Center -- or Super OCC (pictured) -- and an A.I. system are behind Hong Kong MTR's almost perfect on-time record. The rail network earned $1.6 billion in revenue in 2014.
MTR's hi-tech tools —
The Super Operations Control Center -- or Super OCC (pictured) -- and an A.I. system are behind Hong Kong MTR's almost perfect on-time record. The rail network earned $1.6 billion in revenue in 2014.
jason kwok/cnn
The newly renovated Super OCC allows officials to monitor all of the train lines from a single room. "Grouping all the lines into one control room is important because it's an interlinked network," says Jacob C. Kam, operations director of MTR Corporation Limited.
Interconnected train lines —
The newly renovated Super OCC allows officials to monitor all of the train lines from a single room. "Grouping all the lines into one control room is important because it's an interlinked network," says Jacob C. Kam, operations director of MTR Corporation Limited.
jason kwok/cnn
The red bars on the yellow and white lines on the top right screen represent the current location of the trains. The screen beside it shows how many passengers have traveled on the MTR that day. Below, CCTV monitors allow controllers to keep tabs on all of the MTR stations.
Decoding the super screen —
The red bars on the yellow and white lines on the top right screen represent the current location of the trains. The screen beside it shows how many passengers have traveled on the MTR that day. Below, CCTV monitors allow controllers to keep tabs on all of the MTR stations.
jason kwok/cnn
The control room runs 24/7. After the trains shut down, it's used to manage overnight track maintenance. It also oversees power supply and air ventilation, which are indicated on the far right end of the screen.
Super OCC —
The control room runs 24/7. After the trains shut down, it's used to manage overnight track maintenance. It also oversees power supply and air ventilation, which are indicated on the far right end of the screen.
jason kwok/cnn
When there's an issue with a train, the incident clock -- the black elongated box above the screens -- will be turned on, indicating the seconds a train is delayed.
No incidents here —
When there's an issue with a train, the incident clock -- the black elongated box above the screens -- will be turned on, indicating the seconds a train is delayed.
jason kwok/cnn
Anyone entering the Super OCC needs to go through a series of security checks and heavy doors. "It's the central nervous system of the railway network in Hong Kong," says Kam.
Secure location —
Anyone entering the Super OCC needs to go through a series of security checks and heavy doors. "It's the central nervous system of the railway network in Hong Kong," says Kam.
jason kwok/cnn
Inside the Hong Kong metro system's NASA-like control room

Story highlights

Hong Kong's MTR system operates 2.8 million train trips per year with a 99.9% on-time rate

It recently spent $15 million renovating a NASA-like control center

An integrated Artificial Intelligence system increases efficiency

CNN  — 

In a spacious, high-ceilinged room, rows of yellow-shirted controllers monitor a wide, curved video panel that spans the length of an entire wall.

In front of this space age-like console, staff keeps tabs on Hong Kong’s sprawling mass transit system, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Everything is humming along normally on a recent winter day, until the black “incident box” at the center of the room suddenly jolts to life.

There’s a problem on one of the tracks.

Red digits on the box begin flickering madly, indicating the seconds elapsing since the start of the incident.

“The incident box is on, that means there’s an incident in one of the stations causing a delay,” says Jacob C. Kam, operations director of Hong Kong’s MTR (Mass Transit Railway) Corporation Limited.

Smooth operator: Jacob C. Kam, MTR operations director.
Smooth operator: Jacob C. Kam, MTR operations director.
jason kwok/cnn