The Hengqin Line of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system is edging closer towards a full opening this year, with Zhang Guoji, the director of Hengqin’s Urban Planning and Construction Bureau, telling multiple local media outlets that trial operations are expected to begin in October.
System and train tests for the Hengqin Line have already been taking place, following the completion in August of construction work on a link that connects it to the Taipa Line.
Once the line commences operations, Hengqin authorities say that it will “further promote Macao’s integration into the Greater Bay Area’s one-hour living circle.”
A date for the opening has yet to be announced, although the Public Works Bureau has currently listed the expected completion date for the 3.46 billion pataca project as November 2024.
[See more: How to use Macao’s LRT train system like a pro]
Measuring 2.2 kilometres, the line features two stations – HE1 and HE2. The former allows for transfer to the Taipa Line via Lotus Station, while the latter is situated in the basement of the Hengqin Port and is reached through a 900-metre tunnel.
A proposal to connect the Hengqin Line to mainland China’s extensive high speed rail network has also been mooted.
Meanwhile, the 1.6 kilometre Seac Pai Van Line is also expected to fully open later this year. No date has been revealed yet for when it will begin operation, although the authorities opened one of its two stations, Union Hospital Station, on 1 September.
Looking further into the future, a more ambitious East Line is currently in the works. The 7.7 kilometre route will run between the reclaimed islands currently known as Urban Zones E and A before terminating at the Border Gate. The authorities are also looking into the possibility of extending the line westward, toward Qingmao Port.
