Macao’s Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system carried a daily average of 27,100 passengers in February, up by around 7 percent in comparison to the average of 25,300 transported each day in January.
According to data from the railway’s operator, February’s figure marks the fourth straight month that the LRT has broken the record for the second-highest average passenger volume, behind the 33,000 that was reported during the launch of the LRT in December 2019.
The streak began with the opening of the Seac Pai Van Line in November 2024, during which the LRT saw a daily flow of 16,900 people. This was followed by December’s daily average of 23,100, which coincided with the launch of the Hengqin Line.
The current result continues an impressive turnaround for the LRT system, which has been suffering from a chronic lack of passengers for much of its history. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the network’s daily passenger rate plummeted to as low as 1,100.
[See more: LRT extension to Qingmao is feasible, a preliminary study concludes]
The expansion of the 12.5-kilometre Taipa Line into Barra, Seac Pai Van and Hengqin over the past few years has greatly strengthened the network’s reach and passengers’ desire to make use of the system.
Construction of a 7.7-kilometre East Line, which will link the Border Gate with the as yet unnamed land reclamations known as Urban Zones A and E, is currently underway. Last month Raymond Tam, the secretary for transport and public works, revealed that the project – slated for completion in 2028 – was around 30 percent finished.
An expansion of the East Line to the Qingmao Port is also being considered, with a preliminary study commissioned by the government concluding that such a plan is “feasible.” Tam, however, admitted that the extension’s construction would face technical challenges.
Beyond these two projects, the government is also considering a West Line that could link up key districts such as Fai Chi Kei, Red Market, Praia Manduco and Barra. Tam pointed out that the Qingmao extension would play a vital role in delivering the conditions needed to make the West Line a reality.
