MTR Corporation Limited is a majority government-owned
public transport
Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...
Hang Seng Index
The Hang Seng Index (HSI) is a market-Capitalization-weighted index, capitalisation-weighted stock market index in Hong Kong adjusted for free float. It tracks and records daily changes in the largest stock listings on the Hong Kong Stock Exch ...
. The MTR additionally invests in railways across different parts of the world, including franchised contracts to operate rapid transit systems in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
,
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
,
Hangzhou
Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...
,
Macao
Macau or Macao is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most densely populated region in the world.
Formerly a Portuguese colony, the ter ...
,
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A Special economic zones of China, special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong ...
,
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, and a suburban rail system in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
.
History
The Mass Transit Railway Corporation () was established on 22 September 1972 as a government-owned
statutory corporation
A statutory corporation is a corporation, government entity created as a statutory body by statute. Their precise nature varies by jurisdiction, but they are corporations owned by a government or controlled by national or sub-national government ...
to build and operate a mass transit railway system to meet Hong Kong's public transport needs. On 30 June 2000, the MTRC was succeeded by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL, ). As with the MTRC, the MTRCL's principal business is to operate the mass transit railway system. Following a successful
initial public offering
An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investm ...
, the MTRCL was listed on the
Hong Kong Stock Exchange
The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (, SEHK, also known as Hong Kong Stock Exchange) is a stock exchange based in Hong Kong. It is one of the largest stock exchanges in Asia and the List of major stock exchanges, 9th largest globally by market ...
on 5 October 2000, however, the government is still the majority stakeholder in the MTRCL.
Partial privatisation
On 11 September 2000, the financial secretary of the
Hong Kong Government
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government) is the Executive (government), executive authorities of Hong Kong. It was established on 1 July 1997, following the ...
, Sir
Donald Tsang
Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen (; born 7 October 1944) is a former Hong Kong civil servant who served as the second Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2005 to 2012.
Tsang joined the colonial civil service as an Executive Officer in 1967, occupyi ...
, announced the partial
privatisation
Privatization (rendered privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation w ...
of MTR Corporation Limited. The offering was for one billion
shares
In financial markets, a share (sometimes referred to as stock or equity) is a unit of equity ownership in the capital stock of a corporation. It can refer to units of mutual funds, limited partnerships, and real estate investment trusts. Sha ...
, but this was increased to 1.15 billion due to high demand. On 5 October 2000, the company was listed on the
Hong Kong Stock Exchange
The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (, SEHK, also known as Hong Kong Stock Exchange) is a stock exchange based in Hong Kong. It is one of the largest stock exchanges in Asia and the List of major stock exchanges, 9th largest globally by market ...
with 600,000 shareholders. In June 2001, MTR was added to the
Hang Seng Index
The Hang Seng Index (HSI) is a market-Capitalization-weighted index, capitalisation-weighted stock market index in Hong Kong adjusted for free float. It tracks and records daily changes in the largest stock listings on the Hong Kong Stock Exch ...
.
At the time of the
initial public offering
An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investm ...
, the company was operating with a surplus of HK$360 million (US$46.1 million), which had increased from a surplus of HK$278 million (US$35.6 million) in 1997. The MTR has continued to be one of the few profitable public transport systems in the world.
Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC; ) is a Government of Hong Kong, Hong Kong State-owned enterprise, wholly government-owned railway and land Asset management, asset manager. It was established in 1982 under the Kowloon-Canton Railw ...
(KCRC), which was also government-owned and the MTRCL to make the territory's transport system more efficient. The MTRCL backed such a merger while the KCRC opposed the plan. In March 2004, the Hong Kong Government officially encouraged the two companies to merge.
On 11 April 2006, the Hong Kong Government officially announced the details of the proposed merger. Under the non-binding memorandum of understanding the government has signed with KCRC, KCRC would grant a service concession to the MTRCL to operate the
Kowloon–Canton Railway
The Kowloon–Canton Railway (KCR; ) was a railway network in Hong Kong.Legislative Council information paper CB(1)357/07-08(0 THB(T) CR 8/986/00, CB(1)1749/07-08(0/ref> It was owned and operated by the Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation (KC ...
(KCR) system, with an initial period of 50 years. The KCRC would receive a one-time upfront payment of HK$4.25 billion, a fixed annual payment of HK$750 million and a variable annual payment based on revenues generated from operation of the KCR system. In addition, MTRCL would make a payment of $7.79 billion for the acquisition of property and other related commercial interests.
The KCRC's lines were less profitable than those of the MTRC, and the KCRC was less active in property development. It was widely considered that the government's choice was to avoid being criticised for selling assets of the KCRC, which it wholly owned, to MTRCL for an unreasonably low price. Leasing the operation rights of the KCR system to the MTRCL avoided actually selling the KCRC.
On 2 December 2007, the Chinese name of the MTRCL was changed to ( "Hong Kong Railway Corporation Limited") after being granted the Service Concession while the English name will remain unchanged. The KCRC is now a holding company of the KCR system, without actual railway operations. The merger was approved by shareholders of the MTRCL on 9 October 2007. The merger is effective for 50 years. This also resulted in changing the system's Chinese name from "" ("Subway") to "" ("Hong Kong Railway").
All adult
Octopus Card
The Octopus card ( zh, t=, j=baat3 daat6 tung1, is a reusable Contactless payment, contactless stored value smart card for making Electronic money, electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong. Launched in September 1997 to ...
holders would be the first to benefit from the merger.Railway Merger Proposal in Hong Kong Gets Green Light Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in United States. Student and concessionary Octopus holders would also benefit from the merger by further reducing $0.1 from their 50% off fares.Fact Sheet (Eng) Merger of the MTR and KCR systems. Student Octopus holders would continue to pay the current reduced concessionary fares on the MTR network. Elderly Octopus holders would be introduced to a new fare system which only the elderly can enjoy a $2 fare to anywhere on the MTR network (excluding Airport Express, Light Rail, and Cross-Boundary Stations).Elders ride on the MTR on Sundays and public holidays for just $2 for the whole journey
Revenue model
In July 2021, Liber Research Community, an NGO, produced a report which detailed the history of MTR's revenue model. In it, it reported that the "Rail + Property" development model was originally formed to offset unexpected financial difficulties with creating the original MTR lines, with original estimates that MTR's property would account for approximately 20 per cent of its total revenue.
The Executive Council also determined that since MTR had to apply for land grants from the government, it was the government's decision on how land above MTR stations should be allocated, stating "the grant of comprehensive development rights on land affected by railway installations will be discretionary". Land above stations would not necessarily be used to build private housing to maximize MTR's revenue, but could be used to solve issues of
housing in Hong Kong
Housing in Hong Kong varies by location and income. More than 7 million people live on about 1,108 km2 (427 mi2) of land in the region, making it one of the List of countries and dependencies by population density, densest places ...
, such as by developing public housing instead. The Executive Council also noted that "revenue from property development was not originally envisaged as being used as a means of financing the capital cost of the railway itself" and that revenue from property development was to be used for a "contingency reserve", such as for offsetting excessive construction costs.
The report noted that as of 2017, 40 per cent of MTR's revenue is from property and that the original intent of using property revenue for contingency purposes had shifted into a different, unsustainable model where property is used to subsidise operations and the construction of new stations.
Senior leadership
* ''Chairman:'' Rex Auyeung (since July 2019)
* ''Chief Executive:'' Jacob Kam (since April 2019)
''The position of Chief Executive was created in 1995.''
# Jack So (1995–2003)
# Sir Chow Chung-kong (2003–2011)
# Jay Walder (2012–2014)
# Lincoln Leong (2015–2019)
Operations by market
Hong Kong
On 5 October 2000 the operator of the MTR network, the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC), became Hong Kong's first rail company to be partially
privatised
Privatization (rendered privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation wh ...
, marking the beginning of the Hong Kong government's initiative to reduce its interests in public utilities. Prior to its listing on the
Hong Kong Stock Exchange
The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (, SEHK, also known as Hong Kong Stock Exchange) is a stock exchange based in Hong Kong. It is one of the largest stock exchanges in Asia and the List of major stock exchanges, 9th largest globally by market ...
, the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) was wholly owned by the Hong Kong government. MTR Corporation is responsible for the operation of MTR (and the
Kowloon–Canton Railway
The Kowloon–Canton Railway (KCR; ) was a railway network in Hong Kong.Legislative Council information paper CB(1)357/07-08(0 THB(T) CR 8/986/00, CB(1)1749/07-08(0/ref> It was owned and operated by the Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation (KC ...
since 2 December 2007). The rail lines are profitable, but the MTR Corporation derives most of its profits from property development (usually adjacent to railway stations) and other commercial activities in Hong Kong, including the letting of retail and poster advertising space, ATM banking facilities, and personal telecommunication services .
Rail services
Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system currently (at September 2024) includes of rail with 167 stations, including 99 railway stations and 68 light rail stops. There are also several future projects.
File:Hong Kong Railway Route Map en.svg, Map
File:Long Ping Station.jpg, Station (
Long Ping station
Long Ping () is an MTR station located in the northern part of Yuen Long Town to the southeast of Long Ping Estate, in the New Territories of Hong Kong. The station is elevated over Yuen Long Nullah.
There are two public transport interc ...
)
File:K411-E111 MTR Airport Express 22-06-2020.jpg, An Airport Express Train
File:CRH380A-0259@GZN (20180923094804).jpg, High-speed rail service by MTR launched on 23 September 2018. The image shows an MTR Vibrant Express train at
Guangzhou South railway station
Guangzhounan (Guangzhou South) railway station () is located in Shibi, Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. It is a large modern railway station, rail terminal south of central Guangzhou. For a brief time it was Asia's largest ...
Property management
Property is one of the main businesses of the MTR, generating most of its profits. In 2009, with a net profit of HK$7.3 billion, MTR made HK$3.55 billion from property and HK$2.12 billion from transport operations. The MTR tries to develop suitable sites related to their new railway projects and their existing railway. For instance, the
reclaimed land
Land reclamation, often known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamatio ...
situated in
West Kowloon
West Kowloon (), named after West Kowloon Reclamation Project as a part of Airport Core Programme, is the western part of Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong, situated within the Yau Tsim Mong District and Sham Shui Po District. The Land reclam ...
owned by the MTR was developed into Union Square, a mixed-use development with residential, office, retail, and hotel space. The site includes the tallest commercial building in Hong Kong, the 118-storey
International Commerce Centre
The International Commerce Centre is a 108-story, supertall skyscraper in West Kowloon, Hong Kong, resting atop the Elements mall and near two MTR Stations (Kowloon and Austin Station). It is the world's 13th tallest building by height, 1 ...
.
Central's landmark International Finance Centre is managed by Premier Plus, MTR's elite property management brand.
=Shopping centres
=
The MTR Corporation invested heavily to develop large shopping centres around MTR stations. The most recent example is the PopCorn mall located at Tseung Kwan O station. It is connected to the adjacent malls, high-end housing and hotels. Another example of such a shopping centre is Maritime Square located at Tsing Yi station. Maritime Square is a nautical-themed mall in which there are supermarkets,
boutique
A () is a retail shop that deals in high end fashionable clothing or accessories. The word is French for "shop", which derives ultimately from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in anc ...
s, bookstores, a cinema, and restaurants. Since Tsing Yi station serves as the
transport hub
A transport hub is a place where passengers and cargo are exchanged between vehicles and/or between mode of transport, transport modes. Public transport hubs include train station, railway stations, metro station, rapid transit stations, bus ...
for
Tsing Yi
Tsing Yi (), sometimes referred to as Tsing Yi Island, is an island in the New Territories of Hong Kong, to the northwest of Hong Kong Island and south of Tsuen Wan. With an area of , the island has been extended drastically by reclamation alo ...
, Maritime Square is also easily accessible by other transport means including buses and
taxis
A taxis (; : taxes ) is the motility, movement of an organism in response to a Stimulus (physiology), stimulus such as light or the presence of food. Taxes are innate behavioural responses. A taxis differs from a tropism (turning response, often ...
. Other shopping centres developed and managed by the corporation include
CityLink
CityLink is a network of tollways in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, linking the Tullamarine Freeway, Tullamarine, West Gate Freeway, West Gate and Monash Freeways and incorporating Bolte Bridge, Burnley Tunnel and other ...
, Elements, Hanford Plaza, Ocean Walk, Paradise Mall, Plaza Ascot, Sun Tuen Mun Shopping Centre, Telford Plaza, The Lane, the LOHAS, and Luk Yeung Galleria.
As of 2023, MTR Corporation owns a total of 13 shopping malls across Hong Kong, classified into luxury, regional, and neighbourhood malls.
Sweden
MTR Nordic AB is a subsidiary of MTR Corporation UK based in
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
that operates in the public transportation sector through various subsidiaries. The CEO of MTR Nordic is Henrik Dahlin.
Current operations (ending November 2025)
* MTR Tunnelbanan AB (known as MTR Stockholm AB until June 2016) is responsible for the operation, planning and maintenance of the Stockholm Metro. In January 2009, Tunnelbanan Teknik Stockholm, a 50/50 joint venture between MTR and Mantena, was awarded the contract from
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik known as SL, () is the public transport organisation responsible for managing land-based public transport in Stockholm County, Sweden. SL oversees a network that includes the Stockholm Metro, ''Tunnelbana'' metro, Stock ...
(SL) to operate the network for eight years with an option to extend for another six years. MTR started operating the metro on 2 November 2009, and in September 2015 the six-year extension was granted. The current contract with SL for the metro extends to November 2025. In January 2016, MTR bought out its joint venture partner. The division has approximately 3,000 employees with Caroline Åstrand as its CEO. Metro operations will be taken over in November 2025 by Connecting Stockholm AB.
* MTR Tech AB, formerly Tunnelbanan Teknik Stockholm AB (TBT), carries out maintenance of the Stockholm Metro rolling stock. Its CEO is Erika Enestad.
Former operations
* MTR Express (Sweden) AB (2015–2024) operated long-distance trains between
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
and
Gothenburg
Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...
as a private
open access operator
In rail transport, an open-access operator is an operator that takes full commercial risk, running on infrastructure owned by a third party and buying paths on a chosen route and, in countries where rail services run under franchises, are not s ...
using the brand name MTRX. The service, operational since 21 March 2015, uses six X74 (
Stadler Flirt
Stadler FLIRT (, ) is a passenger multiple unit trainset made by Stadler Rail of Switzerland. The baseline design of FLIRT is an electric multiple unit Articulated car, articulated trainset that can come in units of two to twelve cars with two t ...
) electric multiple units travelling at up to 200 km/h. The division had 90 employees based in both Stockholm and Gothenburg, led by CEO Joakim Sundh. Sold May 2024 to
VR Group
VR-Group Plc (, ), commonly known as VR, is a government-owned railway company in Finland. VR's most important function is the operation of Finland's passenger rail services with 250 long-distance and 800 commuter rail services every day. With ...
* MTR Pendeltågen AB (2016–2024) was the operator of the
Stockholm commuter rail
Stockholm commuter rail () is the commuter rail system in Stockholm County, Sweden. The system is an important part of the public transport in Stockholm, and is controlled by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik. The tracks are state-owned and administere ...
network between 11 December 2016 and 3 March 2024. MTR took overall responsibility for the network, trains, and stations in a contract for 10 years, with an option to extend for another four years. In November 2023, citing poor performance by MTR, SL decided to cut short the existing contract, and awarded an emergency contract to SJ, which took over the operation from March 2024. In November 2023 it was reported that MTR would pay a total fine of 800 million kronor (
US$
The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
76.8 million) to SL. This sum included 300 million SEK (
US$
The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
28.8 million) for penalties and contract breaches, and 280 million SEK (
US$
The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
26.9 million) to cover SL's extra expenses due to MTR's early termination.
* MTR Mälartåg AB (2021–2024) was awarded the contract to run regional Mälartåg trains between 2021 and 2029. In July 2022, MTR Mälartåg was required to pay multi-million kronor penalties to Mälardalstrafik due to over 6,100 fully or partially cancelled train departures during the first half of the year. After facing continuing challenges, MTR decided in 2024 to terminate its Mälartåg contract five years early. Mälartåg operations were taken over in June 2024 by
Transdev
Transdev, formerly Veolia Transdev, is a France-based international private-sector company which operates public transport. It has operations in 17 countries and territories as of November 2020.
Transdev was formed on 3 April 2011 via the merg ...
.
Australia
* Melbourne: In June 2009, the
Metro Trains Melbourne
Metro Trains Melbourne, often known simply as Metro, is the operator and brand name of train services on the electrified metropolitan rail network serving the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is the largest urban rail network in Au ...
UGL Rail
UGL Rail is an Australian rail company specialising in building, maintaining and refurbishing diesel locomotives, diesel and electric multiple units and freight wagons. It is a subsidiary of UGL (company), UGL and is based in Melbourne, with a s ...
, was selected to deliver the Sydney Metro Northwest operations contract. As part of the consortium, MTR Corporation, John Holland and UGL Rail formed the Metro Trains Sydney joint venture to operate services on the line for 15 years. The North West Rail Link opened in May 2019, and was extended through the CBD in August 2024.
Mainland China
MTR operates nine lines in three cities in mainland China.
Beijing
The company has also formed a joint-venture Beijing MTR Corporation Limited (Jinggang MTR) (49%) with Beijing Capital Group ("BCG") (49%) and the Beijing Infrastructure Investment Co ("BIIC") (2%) to build and operate for 30 years Line 4, Daxing line, Line 14, Line 16 and Line 17 of the
Beijing Subway
The Beijing Subway is the rapid transit system of Beijing Direct-controlled municipality, Municipality that consists of 29 lines including 24 rapid transit lines, two airport rail links, one maglev line and two light rail, light rail tram line ...
.
Hangzhou
The company formed a new joint-venture Hangzhou MTR (Hanggang MTR) with Hangzhou Metro Group in 2012 to operate Line 1 of the
Hangzhou Metro
The Hangzhou Metro () is a rapid transit system that serves Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang province, China. The system opened on November 24, 2012. It is the 17th city in China to operate a rapid transit system.
Network
There are curre ...
for 28 years, in which MTR holds 49% of the stock, while Hangzhou Metro Group holds the other 51% of the stock. Line 5 of the
Hangzhou Metro
The Hangzhou Metro () is a rapid transit system that serves Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang province, China. The system opened on November 24, 2012. It is the 17th city in China to operate a rapid transit system.
Network
There are curre ...
is operated by Hangzhou MTR Line 5 Ltd., which MTR holds 60% of the stock.
Shenzhen
The company concluded initials concession agreement to build phase 2 of the Line 4 of the Shenzhen Metro, and to operate the whole line on a
BOT
Bot or BOT may refer to:
Sciences
Computing and technology
* Chatbot, a computer program that converses in natural language
* Internet bot, a software application that runs automated tasks (scripts) over the Internet
**Spambot, an internet bot ...
basis for 30 years from 1 July 2010. The phase 2 of Line 4 have been in operation for passengers since 16 June 2011. Line 13, which began operation on 28 December 2024, is also operated by MTR Corporation (Shenzhen).
Former operations
United Kingdom
*
Elizabeth line
The Elizabeth line is a railway line that runs across Greater London and nearby towns, operating similarly to the Réseau Express Régional, RER in Paris and the S-Bahn systems of German-speaking countries. It runs services on dedicated infras ...
: In May 2015, TfL Rail began an eight-year contract to operate the
Crossrail
Crossrail is a completed railway project centred on London. It provides a high-frequency hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system, akin to the Réseau Express Régional, RER in Paris and the S-Bahn systems of German-speaking countries, kn ...
concession in London, with an option for a further two years. Before the new railway lines opened, MTR already operated Liverpool Street–
Shenfield
Shenfield is a suburb of Brentwood, Essex, Brentwood in the Borough of Brentwood, Essex, England. In 2020, it was estimated to have a population of 5,396.
History
The former village, by the church and Green Dragon public house, pub, lies alo ...
and
Paddington
Paddington is an area in the City of Westminster, in central London, England. A medieval parish then a metropolitan borough of the County of London, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Paddington station, designed b ...
–
Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport , also colloquially known as London Heathrow Airport and named ''London Airport'' until 1966, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdo ...
services branded as TfL Rail. In May 2022 services commenced between Paddington and
Abbey Wood
Abbey Wood is an List of areas of London, area in southeast London, England, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and bordering the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Charing Cross. According to the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 ...
via Liverpool Street, and all services were renamed ''Elizabeth line''. , the Elizabeth line is operated by MTR Elizabeth line under a contract with TfL which will expire in May 2025. It is also the line's first operator. In November 2024,
Transport for London
Transport for London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London, United Kingdom.
TfL is the successor organization of the London Passenger Transport Board, which was established in 1933, and His ...
announced that MTR has lost its bid to renew the operation of the Elizabeth line to GTS Rail Operations. Subsequently, GTS Rail Operations took over Elizabeth Line operations from 25 May 2025 onwards.
*
London Overground
London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a Urban rail in the United Kingdom, suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, it now serves a large part of Greate ...
: MTR and Laing Rail established a 50/50 joint venture ( MTR Laing) to bid for the
London Overground
London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a Urban rail in the United Kingdom, suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, it now serves a large part of Greate ...
concession. MTR Laing won the bid and trading as London Overground Rail Operations operated the concession from November 2007. After Laing Rail and
Arriva UK Trains
Arriva UK Trains Limited is the company that oversees Arriva's Train operating company, train operating companies in the United Kingdom. It gained its first Rail franchising in Great Britain, franchises in February 2000. These were later lost, ...
were brought under the ownership of
Deutsche Bahn
(, ; abbreviated as DB or DB AG ) is the national railway company of Germany, and a state-owned enterprise under the control of the German government. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG).
DB was fou ...
in 2007 and 2010 respectively, Arriva took over the Laing Rail's share of the concession. In June 2015, MTR was shortlisted to bid for the next London Overground concession in its own right, but lost out to its previous partner, Arriva.
Arriva Rail London
Arriva Rail London is a train operating company owned by Arriva UK Trains that operates the London Overground concession on behalf of Transport for London.
History
In April 2015, Transport for London placed a notice in the '' Official Journa ...
took over full operation in November 2016.
*
South Western Railway
South Western Railway Limited, trading as South Western Railway (SWR), is the British state-owned train operating company that took over the services of the South Western Railway (2017–2025), operator of the same name from FirstGroup and MTR ...
: In August 2017, South Western Railway, in which MTR has a 30% shareholding in a joint venture with
FirstGroup
FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.South Western franchise. In December 2024, it was announced that the franchise was to be renationalised in May 2025.
Unsuccessful or withdrawn bids
*In 2004, MTR in a joint venture with Sea Containers unsuccessfully bid for the Integrated Kent franchise.
*In 2007, MTR was shortlisted to bid for the West Midlands franchise, but did not lodge a bid.
*In February 2009, MTR Corporation were shortlisted to operate the Tyne & Wear Metro concession in
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...
.
*In November 2013, MTR was announced as a bidder for the
ScotRail
ScotRail Trains Limited, trading as ScotRail (), is a Scottish train operating company that is publicly owned by Scottish Rail Holdings on behalf of the Scottish Government. It has been operating the ScotRail franchise as an operator of las ...
franchise.
*In April 2016, MTR was again shortlisted to bid for the West Midlands franchise, however again withdrew.
*In October 2016, MTR was shortlisted to operate the
Wales & Borders franchise
The Wales & Borders franchise () is a railway franchise for passenger services in the United Kingdom operated since 7 February 2021 by publicly owned operator, Transport for Wales Rail. The franchise covers the majority of rail services in W ...
.
*In June 2017 a joint venture between MTR and Guangshen Railway Company was shortlisted to bid for the West Coast Partnership franchise to commence in 2019. In December 2018 Spanish operator
Renfe Operadora
Renfe (, ), officially Renfe-Operadora, is Spain's national State-owned enterprise, state-owned railway company.
It was created in 2005 upon the split of the former Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles, Spanish National Railway Netwo ...
joined their bid, with
Snowfall
Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...
as a software subcontractor. In August 2019, it was announced that MTR was unsuccessful in the bid, losing to a joint bid by First and Trenitalia.
*In November 2024, MTR lost its bid to renew the operating contract of the Elizabeth line, losing to a joint bid by
Go-Ahead Group
Go-Ahead Group Limited is a Multinational corporation, multi-national transport group based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. While the majority of its operations are within Great Britain, it also operates services in Ireland, Australia, Singapo ...
,
Tokyo Metro
The Tokyo Metro () is a major rapid transit system in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the #Organization, Tokyo Metro Co. With an average daily ridership of 6.52 million passengers (as of 2023), the Tokyo Metro is the larger of the Tokyo subway, two s ...
and
Sumitomo Corporation
is one of the largest worldwide '' sōgō shōsha'' general trading companies, and is a diversified corporation. The company was incorporated in 1919 and is a member company of the Sumitomo Group.
It is listed on three Japanese stock exchange ...
.
Macau
MTR Railway Operations (Macau) Company Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of MTR Corporation, operated the Taipa line of the
Macau Light Rapid Transit
The Macau Light Rapid Transit (MLRT, zh, 澳門輕軌系統; , MLM) is a mass transit system in Macau and the first railway system of the city. The first phase of the project's construction began in February 2012, and the first section of the Taip ...
(MLRT or MLM) in Macau since the line's opening on 10 December 2019 until 2024. MTR was contracted to operate and maintain the line for 80 months. However in 2024, MTR has gradually handed over the operations to Sociedade do Metro Ligeiro de Macau, S.A., an operator owned by the government of Macau Special Administrative Region.