I had the good fortune to have the opportunity to fly out to Hong Kong for a short trip in October. Although not an Underdog Trip, I couldn't resist taking a ride on the Hong Kong MTR (Mass Transit Railway or Metro)!
With 5 million trips taken every week in Hong Kong, the MTR is truly impressive; voted in 2017 as the worlds number 1 metro system by CNN.
Here are a few things I noticed.....
1) It is C.L.E.A.N. - Putting London to shame, you could eat your dinner from the seats! The carriages are immaculate and warning signs for fines and even imprisonment are clearly displayed to prevent littering.
2) The Stations are Huge - Most stations have several exits with the longest distance between two being over 700m. Make sure you know where you're going.. it can be a long walk. Although the stations are dotted with Dim Sum & Cookie shops which make the walking more worthwhile.
3) Hong Kong Disneyland is serviced by a MTR train with Mickey Mouse themed windows!
4) The Oyster Card equivalent is called the Octopus Card
5) It is never late - the MTR Boasts a 99.9% 'on-time rate' on it's trains, making it the most popular form of public transport in Hong Kong. But beware, it gets busy.. and I mean busy.
Maybe I should start planning all of my breaks away around Metro Systems? A good excuse to head to New York I reckon....
Hannah
Team Underdog