Transportation-Rail

Transportation- Rail

1. Advantages

a. Convenience

Undoubtedly, the metro service provides the easiest way of getting around the city. The metro network is so extensive which bring convenience to citizens. For example, MTR have ten rail lines covering Kowloon, New Territories and Hong Kong Island.

b. Reliability

Passengers can get to their destinations punctually since metro follow the headway schedules strictly with good signaling. There will be a train every 3 minutes and every 2 minutes during peak hours in Hong Kong. These tight schedules foster all kinds of activities which favor rapid development of a city.

c. Ease traffic congestion

Driving can be more difficult especially during monsoon season. Metro is capable to carry almost three times as many people as travelling at the same place, meaning a fewer road users. This allows the remaining road users to get to their destinations faster.

d. Environmental concerns

The massive capacity of metro travel is an environmentally friendly act which helps minimizing an individual's carbon footprint. Citizens can stay healthy as reduced emission of pollutants caused by cars.

e. Develop outlying regions 

The metro's routes encompass several outlying areas. This gives those areas’ city dwellers opportunities not being denied by others and resulted in increasing property value in such less developed areas.

Disadvantages

a. Limited land utilization

Lands which are occupied by the metro cannot be used for other activities later as rail tracks are fixed and it is costly to demolish the track. Just like the Tai Po Railway Museum in Tai Po Market. Its existence does not cater to the economic interest of a city.

b. Surplus

Since the government has been planned and constructed the metro infrastructure for a decade, some existing metro stations or lines became surplus to the city. Such as Austin station in Tsim Sha Tsui. They are not worth money and limit the land utilization.

c. Inflexible service

The metro...