The Macao Light Rapid Transit (LRT)’s Hengqin Line officially opened today, allowing residents and visitors alike to seamlessly travel between Macao and Hengqin, the railway’s operator said in a statement.
At 1:11 pm, the inaugural train departed from the line’s Lotus Station, making its way to Hengqin Station in a 2.2-kilometre journey that took approximately 2 minutes.
According to TDM, over 30 passengers were already waiting inside the station at 12:30 pm, with both cars of the first train service packed upon departure.
Trains between the two stations operate roughly every 6 minutes, travelling through a tunnel situated beneath the Shizimen Waterway. Passengers using this line will cross into mainland China from the Macao side of the Hengqin Port.
As for the fare, the LRT corporation notes that a trip between Hengqin and Lotus Station is treated as a two-station journey, meaning that the route will cost 3 patacas using a prepaid card or 6 patacas with a single journey ticket.
[See more: How to use Macao’s LRT train system like a pro]
The opening of the new line is expected to further boost the growing ties between Macao and Hengqin, with the operator stating that it will help “Macao’s integration into the one-hour living circle of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.”
Costing a total of 3.46 billion patacas, the Hengqin Line commenced construction in March 2021. Work was delayed for a total of 43 days between 2021 and 2023, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Hengqin Line is the second route to have opened this year, following the inauguration of the 1.6 kilometre Seac Pai Van Line on 1 November. Both lines are connected to the more extensive Taipa Line, which measures 12.5 kilometres and consists of 12 stations.
A 7.7 kilometre East Line that links runs through Qing Mao Port, Urban Zone A and Urban Zone E is also currently under construction and is expected to be ready for operation by 2029.
Beyond this project, the incoming secretary for transport and public works, Raymond Tam, said during a press conference yesterday that the new government would consider the possibility of extending the LRT Line into the heart of the Macao peninsula to help tackle the city’s traffic woes.
