Differences between the past and present Hong Kong Peak Tram

Hong Kong’s Peak Tram was built in 1888.

Today taking Peak Tram ride is still the must-do-thing for the travelers.

Frank the tour guide is going to show travelers the 6 differences between the past and the present Hong Kong funicular railway.

 

Changes of Peak Tram
Ticketing
VIP seat
Main passengers
Opening hours
Number of tram car
Service

 

Actually in Peak Tram’s 133 years of history, one thing has no change, i.e. good view outside the windows!

 

From 1888 to the future, when passengers take the funicular to go to the Peak, they can enjoy the stunning view.

Frank’s Hong Kong Island private tour includes one-way Peak Tram ride.

Travelers can dodge the crowd to take the Peak Tram easily, do more and see more.

Ticketing

From 1888 to 1926, like the present flight ticket, the Peak Tram ticket had three classes.

The first class was for the Colonial Government British officials and the residents of the Peak (mostly from UK).

The second class was for the British soldiers and Hong Kong Police officers.

The third class was for local Chinese (mostly servants working at the houses at the Peak).

This showed British people wanted to keep the common Chinese people away from their cooler and higher residence, Victoria Peak.

Now Peak Tram ticket has only one class for all.

 

There is concessionary ticket for the seniors and children.

Check the Peak Tram ticket price here…

VIP seat

In the past, Hong Kong Governors had a summer house at the top of Victoria Peak.

From 1908 to 1950, two seats on the first row of the tram car were kept for the Governors and his wives.

The back of the seats had a bronze board with a message saying “Reserved for the Governor of Hong Kong”!

Now there is no VIP seat for the Chief Executive of HKSAR.

As the Peak Tram becomes so crowded at the normal time, it is impossible to keep a seat for someone.

 

The Peak Staff only offer special help to the disabled passengers to get in and out of the tram car.

Check special help for disabled passengers at Peak Tram Terminus…

Main passengers

In the past the main passengers of Peak Tram were the British.

For a cooler living environment, the rich and powerful British began to live at the Victoria Peak in the 1860s.

At first everyone could only go up and down the Peak by sedan chair or on foot.

Thus the Peak Tram’s original main function was serving the British residents at the Peak Level.

 

The extra purpose was serving customers of the Peak Hotel, which was next to the Peak Tram Upper Terminus.

Now travelers or tourists of course have become the main passengers.

Normally, about 11,000 passengers (mostly non-locals) take the Peak Tram daily and about 4,000,000 people take the funicular annually.

 

During rush hours, Peak Tram can be very crowded and waiting time can be very long.

 

When they are waiting the tram or taking the tram to enjoy the good view, the local and Western rich residents of the Peak just use their Mercedes Benz, BMW, Toyota etc. to go back and forth the Peak.

More Tesla have appeared at the Peak recently.

Travelers of course can take one-way Peak Tram uphill and take the comfortable private car to go to other attractions to use the time more efficiently by having Frank’s Hong Kong Island private car tour.

Opening hours

In the past the Peak Tram opened very early.

According to the Hong Kong Guidebook published in 1938, the Peak Tram started service at 0600 daily.

This could help the main passengers at that moment to go to school or go to work easier.

This might also help the early shipment of commodities.

As Peak Tram mainly serves travelers and tourists now, it is no need to start the tram service so early.

The first tram departs at 0700.

Normally the crowd appears at the lower Peak Terminus at about 0900 during high season.

 

Thus if travelers want to take the Peak Tram by yourselves, please go earlier.

Number of tram car

In the past, Peak Tram had only one tram car.

That was enough to meet the normal demand of the limited population at the Peak Level.

Even though population at the Victoria Peak grew steadily later, more rich households got their own private cars and did not take the public transportation anymore.

 

Thus the carrying capacity increased very slowly (30 passengers in 1888, 52 passengers in 1926, 62 passengers in 1948, 72 passengers in 1959).

Now Peak Tram has two tram cars, which can accommodate 120 passengers.

 

This upgrade in 1989 was for the drastic increase of travelers and tourists.

To meet the increasing demand of the future, Peak Tram is now upgrading the whole system.

The two terminus will be enlarged to offer a better waiting environment for the passengers.

The platforms of the two terminus will be lengthened for the longer two-car trams, which can accommodate 210 people.

Service

At first, Peak Tram was just the funicular railway.

It just offered public transportation service.

Now it even offers entertainment to visitors.

At the entrance of the Lower Garden Road Terminus, there is the Peak Tram Historical Gallery.

The 200 exhibits include staff uniforms, old tickets, the replica of the first generation wooden Peak Tram car etc.

The owner of Peak Tram has a shopping center, Peak Tower, which is also the Upper Peak Tram Terminus, at the hilltop.

 

The Peak Tower has a Observation deck and wax figure museum.

Travelers can buy the package ticket for Peak Tram ride plus visit to Sky Terrace 428 Observation Deck.

The buyers of package ticket for Peak Tram ride plus visit to the Madame Tussauds Wax Figures Museum can get the “privilege” to shorten their waiting time for the tram in the special lane.

 

Passengers liked this package ticket when the Peak Tram was very crowded.

 

Of course the best way to take the Peak Tram easily is dodging the crowd completely.

Frank the tour guide’s Hong Kong Island private tour can help clients to do so.

Take Peak Tram easily during Frank’s Hong Kong Island private tour to see the unchanged good view

Frank the tour guide’s easy Hong Kong Island private tour includes one-way Peak Tram ride.

Clients can take the Peak Tram ride to enjoy the good view easily.

 

 

Frank and driver choose the best terminus (Upper or Lower) for clients to take the ride by their local experience and knowledge.

This helps clients to dodge the crowd effectively,

At the end of the ride, clients can see a big crowd waiting for the tram.

Clients can get their money’s worth and a sense of superiority.

After saving the valuable sightseeing time, clients can see more and do more in Hong Kong.

Frank hopes he can serve you after the pandemic.

For further questions, please contact Frank