As August comes to an end, so does our collection of photos taken in Hong Kong earlier this year.
Despite the inevitably slow speeds on a street-based tramway, the main purpose of the Hong Kong system is still public transport for the locals – though it is also a ‘must-see’ attraction for visitors to the island. The tramway, currently – and perhaps surprisingly – owned and operated by RATP Dev Asia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the French RATP Dev, publishes a helpful list of instructions in a Notice to Passengers on its website. The fourth of these reads ‘Do not place any parts of the body out of the windows’, an ordinance which is being rigorously observed in this photo though it was being slightly contravened in one of the previous ones.
As well as the standard double-deckers Hong Kong also operates a small fleet of special cars, including open balcony and semi-open top cars for sightseeing tours and private charters. In 1992 the company also famously built two double-deckers, to standard rather than 3’6” gauge, for export to the Birkenhead Tramway on the Wirral, sadly not in operation since 2023. Any enthusiast missing the Birkenhead line and nostalgic for the days of old-fashioned British tramways could do a lot worse than heading for Hong Kong, home of the last commercially-operated traditional British-style street tramway in the world. It’s a long way to go and may not be the cheapest destination in the world (though it does offer plenty of good value accommodation and restaurants) but it has a lot to offer the tramway enthusiast – and it currently remains visa-free. As well as the traditional narrow gauge system on the island illustrated in these photos there is also the modern light rail system serving Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, opened in 1988 and just a short MTR journey away in the New Territories.
One of the many airlines flying to Hong Kong is Turkish Airlines, as advertised on car 48, seen here at North Point terminus. The car is preparing to return in service to Whitty Street Depot, which is not one of the six standard routes, while the next car to arrive can already be seen in the background, rounding the curve from Chun Yeung Street. About five minutes walk from the tram stop is North Point Pier, with ferry routes to points on the mainland, including Kowloon City, Hung Hom, Kai Tak and Kwun Tong. Public transport throughout the whole special administrative region of Hong Kong by tram, MTR, light rail, bus and ferry is so comprehensive and cheap that getting about is very easy. Everywhere is signed in English, which is also widely spoken in most places.
Words by Donald Brooks
Photograph by Donald Brooks. 5th April 2026