In Hong Kong, you can find a high-speed railway connecting the airport and the city center. It’s similar to the airport railway that connects Incheon Airport and downtown Seoul in South Korea, and it’s called the “AEL,” short for “Airport Express Line.”
- Hong Kong Airport Express Line “AEL”: Hong Kong International Airport: Airport Express Line (AEL)
“AEL with 4 Stations”
The Hong Kong Airport Express Line, known as AEL, has four stations: Hong Kong Airport, Tsing Yi, Kowloon, and Hong Kong, in that order.
If you board at Hong Kong Airport, you can reach the main area of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Station, in just 24 minutes. As the locations of each station vary, the fares from the airport to each station also differ.
“Boarding AEL from Tsing Yi Station to Hong Kong Airport”
During this trip to Hong Kong, I purchased tickets online for the “Hong Kong Airport” – “Hong Kong Central” route beforehand. However, since I found accommodation in Tsim Sha Tsui on the first day of my trip, I didn’t travel all the way to Hong Kong Station. Instead, I traveled to Kowloon Station, so I ended up boarding the train less than I had originally planned.
The same situation occurred when I returned. Because I stayed at Hong Kong Disneyland on Lantau Island, I traveled from Sunny Bay Station back towards the city direction. This meant I ended up boarding AEL at Tsing Yi Station, resulting in paying a higher fare than the actual distance I traveled.
“The Peculiar Route from Tsing Yi Station to Hong Kong Airport”
Due to my stay at Hong Kong Disneyland on Lantau Island, the itinerary on the last day became quite convoluted. After leaving Hong Kong Disneyland and arriving at Sunny Bay Station to board the AEL route, I had to transfer at Tsing Yi Station, which is located to the east from the perspective of Hong Kong Airport.
From Tsing Yi Station, I once again boarded the AEL route heading back west, creating a peculiar route where I traveled east and then back west. Nevertheless, thanks to the high speed of AEL, the difference in travel time compared to a smoother route from Sunny Bay Station to Tung Chung Station by regular train, and then to the airport, was not significant.
Thanks to this, I had the opportunity to visit Tsing Yi Station, a location I likely wouldn’t have visited otherwise. Of course, it was just a matter of riding subway lines and boarding the Airport Express Line (AEL), but during my trip to Hong Kong, I was able to pass by and experience it.
“Hong Kong, AEL Tsing Yi Station”
- Address: Tsing Yi, Hong Kong
- AEL Website: http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/services/airport_express_index_tourist.html