Into the high-speed train driving cab

August 11, 2018

Forward looking:

Andrew To and Priscilla Ho have obtained the licence issued by the National Railway Administration. They will be driving the Vibrant Express, Hong Kong’s high-speed trains.

Routine checks:

The high-speed train captain will check the train’s traction and braking systems every time before driving.

Valuable experience:

Ms Ho said she enjoyed her training in the Mainland, although the process was challenging.

Comprehensive training:

Ms Ho and Mr To both completed a comprehensive nine-month training programme, which includes lectures and three months of practical training.

Download Video| Transcript

Voiceover:
Andrew To, 32, has been passionate about trains since he was a boy. He joined the MTR Corporation Limited seven years ago and had driven along the Airport Express.

Now, Andrew is looking forward to the challenge of becoming a high-speed train captain.

High-speed train captain Andrew To: 
My dream was to be a train driver. Even though I have successfully become one, I really want to be a part of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link. 

Voiceover:
The Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link will connect Hong Kong with the continuously expanding national high-speed rail network. Train captains are required to fulfil the requirements and obtain the qualifications prescribed by the National Railway Administration.

They need to complete a comprehensive nine-month training programme, which includes lectures and three months of practical training. Andrew was part of the first group of drivers in Hong Kong to learn how to drive along a high-speed rail. He said the biggest challenge of the programme was learning to operate the train at high speeds. 

High-speed train captain Andrew To: 
The mechanical parts of a high-speed train are different from those of the trains I drove before. High-speed trains are clearly much faster, and I needed time to adapt to it. Besides, high-speed trains are almost entirely manually operated. Train captains need to be highly focused. 

Voiceover:
Twenty-eight-year-old Priscilla Ho has been operating trains on the East Rail Line and will also become one of the high-speed train captains. Priscilla said she enjoyed her training in the Mainland.

High-speed train captain Priscilla Ho:
When I entered the driving cab for the first time, I was asked to drive from Shenzhen North Station to Guangzhou South Station. I felt very nervous at the time, and even dreamed about driving the train that night! 

Voiceover:
Priscilla and Andrew have passed the examinations and obtained the licence issued by the National Railway Administration. They will be driving the Vibrant Express, Hong Kong’s high-speed trains, which are expected to come on line this September. 

The 26km Express Rail Link is vitally important to the city. It will link Hong Kong with major Mainland cities and significantly reduce rail travelling times.

The Government and the Mass Transit Railway Corporation are actively preparing for the commissioning of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.

The first group of high-speed train drivers in Hong Kong have completed training and examinations.

Priscilla Ho, 28, one of the high-speed train captains, operated trains on the East Rail Line before she applied to join the high-speed train captain training programme in 2016.

She said she enjoyed her training in the Mainland.

“When I entered the driving cab for the first time, I was asked to drive from Shenzhen North Station to Guangzhou South Station. I felt very nervous at the time, and even dreamed about driving the train that night!”

After a comprehensive nine-month training programme, which includes lectures and three months of practical training, Ms Ho obtained the licence issued by the National Railway Administration for driving high-speed trains.

Highly focused

The Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link will connect Hong Kong with the continuously expanding national high-speed rail network. Train captains are required to fulfil the requirements and obtain the qualifications prescribed by the National Railway Administration.

Fellow high-speed train captain Andrew To said the biggest challenge of the programme was learning to operate the train at high speeds.

“The mechanical parts of a high-speed train are different from those of the trains I drove before. High-speed trains are clearly much faster, and I needed time to adapt to it.

“Besides, high-speed trains are almost entirely manually operated. Train captains need to be highly focused.”

Mr To said he is excited to be a high-speed train captain.

“My dream was to be a train driver. Even though I have successfully become one, I really want to be a part of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.”

The 26km Express Rail Link is vitally important to the city.

It will link Hong Kong with major Mainland cities and significantly reduce rail travelling times. Commissioning of the service is expected to take place in September.