3. OPERATIONS

The system is 13 km (8 miles) long, with a total track lenth of 30 km (18.6 miles), and it runs together with other vechicles on the street. Its operation relies on the 550 V direct current (d.c.) from the overhead cables, on 3'6" gauge (1067 mm) tracks. The trams provide service to only part of of Hong Kong Island: they run on a double track along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan, with a single clockwise-running track of about 3 km (1.9 miles) around the Happy Valley Racecourse.

Most of the tram stop locations have remained unchanged since their establishment. However, some have had their names changed e.g. " Shu Shen Guan " in the 1940s is now " World-Wide House ". Hong Kong Tramways introduced loading islands (waiting areas) at some busy tram stops to ensure the safety of passengers. Today, there are 123 tram stops in total. Most of them are sheltered, with a handful of tram stop signs still standing on the sidewalks.

Just like buses, trams in Hong Kong can be very crowded. the maximum capacity of each tramcar is 115 people. During the busier periods of the day, trams often line up since there are many tramcars running at the same time. In 2002, the trams recorded an average of 240,000 passenger trips daily.

There are seven terminal points, at Kennedy Town, Whitty Street, Western Market, Causeway Bay, North Point, Shau Kei Wan and Happy Valley. Tram Stops are densely located in an average interval of 250 metres (820 ft). Most of them are located in the middle of the road, connected by pedestrian crossings or footbridges. Travelling in the lower deck of the tram allows travellers to have close up view of the local street life, while occupying the front seats of the upper deck gives good views of the town as the tram rattles by.

The tram service starts at 05:10 and ends at around 00:30 every day. On average, the interval between each tram is about 1.5 metres in peak hours.

In the past, trams only have a maximum speed of 40 km/h. But starting from the beginning of 2008, the speed of some trams is increased. Now most trams have a maximun speed of 50 km/h, a few of them even have a maximum speed of 60 km/h.