Trains

Abstract: Trains can be found in some video games set in Hong Kong. These trains are more than proving that the games are set in the city. They are recording the evolution of the trains, as well as how the citizens use and look towards this kind of transportation.

我們在以香港做背景的電子遊戲中﹐不時會見到火車的踪影。它們不只證明了遊戲舞台設在香港，同時亦記錄著香港火車的演變，以至市民如何運用及看待這種交通工具。

To game developers, train may just be yet another prop in the Hong Kong stages of their games, with the sole purpose of persuading others that the stages are set in the city. However, to scholars, players and the public, the trains (and relative items such as train stations) in video games reveal certain historical and cultural significance of the real counterparts. In the following, we will highlight them one by one.

To begin with, let's see what games have train elements:

• 正牌龍虎門 (Gameone. Android/iOS: 2019) -- set in 1970s
• 3x3 eyes Seima kōrin-den (Yutaka. SNES: 1993) -- set in the 1980s
• Test Drive 6 (Infogrames, Inc. Dreamcast/PlayStation/Microsoft Windows/Game Boy Color: 1999) -- set in the 1990s
• Kowloon Magic (Bun Fun Factory. Microsoft Windows: 2003) -- set in the 1990s
• X-treme Express (Midas Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 2: 2001) -- set in 2000s
• 007: Agent Under Fire (Electronic Arts. PlayStation 2: 2001, GameCube/Xbox: 2002) -- set in 2000s
• Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions (Activision. Xbox/GameCube/PlayStation 2: 2002) -- set in 1997. 
• Gran Turismo 4 (Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 2: 2004) -- set in 2003
• Shadowrun: Hong Kong (Harebrained Schemes. Microsoft Windows/OSX/Linux: 2015) -- set in 2056
• Jet Li: Rise to Honor (SCEA. PlayStation 2: 2004) -- set in 2000s
• Lupin the 3rd Rupin Zenigata ni wa koi wo game ルパン三世 ルパンには死を、銭形には恋を (Banpresto. PlayStation 2: 2007) -- set in the 2000s
• Resident Evil 6 (Capcom. PlayStation 3/Xbox 360: 2012, Microsoft Windows: 2013) -- set in 2010s
• Mini Metro (Dinosaur Polo Club. Browser/Linux/OSX/Microsoft Windows: 2015, Android/IOS: 2016, Switch: 2018) -- set in the 2010s
• Sense: A Cyberpunk Story (ProjectSenseDev. Microsoft Windows/OSX/PlayStation 4/PlayStation Vita/Switch: 2019) -- set in 2083

As an archive of train and station designs

The first thing that we could notice from the list of games is that all these games were written or set at a time not earlier than 1980s. To understand why that is the case, we need to know a bit of history. The train services in Hong Kong could be dated back to 1910, when Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCR 九廣鐵路) started a cross-border rail between Kowloon of Hong Kong and Canton (now known as Guangzhou) in China. The line just served limited number of places in the urban area of the city. In 1979, the Mass Transit Railway (MTR 地下鐵路) joined force and made train service accessible to a much wider urban area (Wikipedia, 2018, September 02), making trains more and more popular and hence natural for game developers to add these trains to games that are set in modern Hong Kong. 

The numerous train stations in the urban area of Hong Kong in 1986. The red, green and blue lines covered by MTR, while the grey line is covered by KCR. Source: mtr.hk365day.com

As a result, the train designs that we could find in the games are almost originated from those in 1980s or later. Steam engines or diesel engines that ran before 1980s have yet been seen. As the train companies are updating their fleets and sites as time goes on, and the games was written or set at different points of time, what we have as a whole is a good collection recording the evolution of the trains and train stations over time. It could be the look-and-feel such as livery and coloring scheme, or facility upgrade such as platform screen doors and information display boards. One may be reminded of his good old days when they play the games that come with the old design.

Inside a MTR train in Kowloon Magic (Bun Fun Factory. Microsoft Windows: 2003)

Interior of a MTR train in the 1990s. Note its extensive use of metallic and gray colors in the interior. Source: GAKEI.com

A MTR station exit in Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions (Activision. Xbox/GameCube/PlayStation 2: 2002) set in 1997.

MTR station exit on Nathan Road of Gran Turismo 4 (Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 2: 2004) set in 2003.

A MTR station exit in the 1990s and 2000s. Shot in 2001. Source: Joybot via flickr

A MTR station in Shadowrun: Hong Kong (Harebrained Schemes. Microsoft Windows/OSX/Linux: 2015). Though set in 2056, the station design shall be based on what was seen in 2010s.

Tsim Sha Tsui A1 Exit, 2009. Source: Wikipedia

On the MTR station platform of Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions (Activision. Xbox/GameCube/PlayStation 2: 2002) set in 1997.

Yau Ma Tei MTR station platform in 1997. Note there was no platform screen door. Credit: Miki Yoshihito

A MTR platform in Shadowrun: Hong Kong (Harebrained Schemes. Microsoft Windows/OSX/Linux: 2015). Though set in 2056, the platform design shall be based on what was seen in 2010s. Note the presence of platform screen doors.

Yau Ma Tei MTR station platform in 2012. Source: Youtube

The Metro Cammell EMU train in X-treme Express (Midas Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 2: 2001)

A Metro Cammell EMU train in service. Source: Wikipedia

A refurbished Metro Cammell EMU train in 007: Agent Under Fire (Electronic Arts. PlayStation 2: 2001, GameCube/Xbox: 2002)

A refurbished Metro Cammell EMU train in service. Source: Wikipedia

Inside a train in Resident Evil 6 (Capcom. PlayStation 3/Xbox 360: 2012, Microsoft Windows: 2013) 

Interior of a refurbished Metro Cammell EMU on the East Rail Line. Source: Wikipedia

Inside a train in Sense: A Cyberpunk Story (ProjectSenseDev. Microsoft Windows/OSX/PlayStation 4/PlayStation Vita/Switch: 2019). Note the display on top of the train door.

The display on West Rail Line 8-car trains, first available in around 2016. Source: Wikipedia

The only pre-1980s train-related item that manages to stay in town is the Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower (前九廣鐵路鐘樓). It was completed in 1915 as a part of the KCRC Tsim Sha Tsui station. As the station was relocated in 1975, the tower was preserved and continued to be a landmark construction of the city in both real and virtual worlds (Wikipedia, 2018, August 30).

Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower shot at 2013. Source: Wikipedia 

The former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower in Test Drive 6 (Infogrames, Inc. Dreamcast/PlayStation/Microsoft Windows/Game Boy Color: 1999)

The former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower in Jet Li: Rise to Honor (SCEA. PlayStation 2: 2004)

A battle in front of the former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower in 正牌龍虎門 (Gameone. Android/iOS: 2019) 

Kowloon-Canton Railway Tsim Sha Tsui Station in 1916. The station with the clock tower is located at the back of the photo. Source: Wikipedia 

As a reflection of how citizens use and treat the trains

Walking around a place using train stations

In Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions (Activision. Xbox/GameCube/PlayStation 2: 2002), players could drive through a underground train station as a shortcut of a part of a main road. This way helps the players skip the traffic above the ground and thus save a great deal of time.

The underground train station as a shortcut in Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions which goes from point A to point D on this map

Of course in the real world, you shall not drive your car into any underground train station. However, pedestrians could take advantage of such a shortcut. The underground train stations in Hong Kong offer not only numerous exits to many main streets and landmark buildings around the stations, but also shelter and air-conditioning so you could escape from the hot weather, heavy air pollution, strong sunshine and rain above the ground. Sometimes, crossings on the roads are even eliminated and the pedestrians are asked to use the underground train station to cross the roads so as to ease the road traffic.

The various exits (in red or green squares) of Tsim Sha Tsui/East Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station. Source: mtr.com.hk

A street sign suggesting pedestrians on the use of subway to cross the busy Nathan Road 

The subway that the street sign suggests is indeed a underground train station. Source: Google Maps

Wishing to reach every corner of the city by train

In some video games, players could use trains to reach places which had yet been covered by the rail network at the time the game was developed. For example, in 3x3 eyes Seima kōrin-den (Yutaka. SNES: 1993), one is allowed to travel to Aberdeen and Kai Tak Airport, which wasn't covered as at 1993. In Shadowrun: Hong Kong (Harebrained Schemes. Microsoft Windows/OSX/Linux: 2015), Whampoe and Kai Tak stations that players could go with rail had yet been opened in the real world.

The Kai Tak Airport train station in 3x3 eyes Seima kōrin-den (Yutaka. SNES: 1993)

One could use train to visit Aberdeen in 3x3 eyes Seima kōrin-den (Yutaka. SNES: 1993)

The train station next to Kai Tak riverfront in Shadowrun: Hong Kong (Harebrained Schemes. Microsoft Windows/OS X/Linux: 2015). Note that the station sign says it is Kowloon Bay.

In-game text of Shadowrun: Hong Kong (Harebrained Schemes. Microsoft Windows/OS X/Linux: 2015) suggesting a train station in Whampoe 

It was later in 1998 that the train system was connected with the airport, though it was the new Chek Lap Kok Airport rather than the old Kai Tak one. In 2016, the system was extended to Whampoe and a few others, making it possible the first time to go around all the 18 districts of Hong Kong (MTR, 2016, December 28). Kai Tak will eventually be linked when the first phrase of Sha Tin to Central link opens in 2019 (Wikipedia, 2018, September 05).

The Airport train station in Lupin the 3rd Rupin Zenigata ni wa koi wo game (Banpresto. PlayStation 2: 2007).

 The Airport train station in the New Chek Lap Kok Airport. Source: Wikipedia

Some MTR extensions in recent years. Source: Wikipedia

Nonetheless, in the real world there is still a decent portion of places that can't be reached by train. Contradictory to what was wished, some rail fans even construct their own train system map to show how they wish the network to look like.

MTR System Map (as at Aug 28, 2018)

The MTR System Map design by some rail enthusiast

In reality, it could take a long time to get a place connected by rail because many factors need to be considered. Passengers' demand is important, but we also need to consider the construction cost of the rail and the supporting infrastructure, urban planning and people who are going to be affected. Anyway, if you wish to try building your own rail network without all these additional constraints, you may try Mini Metro (Dinosaur Polo Club. Browser/Linux/OSX/Microsoft Windows: 2015, Android/IOS: 2016, Switch: 2018). The game offers you a Hong Kong map for you build your own Hong Kong rail network.

A train network built on the Hong Kong stage of Mini Metro (Dinosaur Polo Club. Browser/Linux/OSX/Microsoft Windows: 2015, Android/IOS: 2016, Switch: 2018)

Being a transport that they wish to drive

Just like many other high-quality train systems in the world, the one in Hong Kong manages to build up a positive image with quite a few people in the city. A few of them even become fans of this public transport. They may not satisfied with being passengers only. They want to drive the trains. In X-treme Express (Midas Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 2: 2001), you have a chance to use a Metro Cammell EMU train in the Hong Kong train system to race against trains from all around the world.

Racing against other trains in X-treme Express (Midas Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 2: 2001)

If one insists on driving the routes as the real operators do, no problem! Some rail enthusiasts have spent time developing BVE Trainsim or OpenBVE plugins for you to do so with your own computers.

Driving the West Rail Line in OpenBVE

If you like, you could even drive a Metro Cammell EMU train in the Hong Kong train system to race against trains from all around the world in X-treme Express (Midas Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 2: 2001).

Final Remark

One could identify multiple levels of significance with the trains and train stations in the various video games based in Hong Kong. The presence of these trains and stations by itself helps convince others that the games are set in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, since the train and station design has been evolving from time to time, the games provide a mean for players to come across the designs of different time again. In some of these games, how people use and treat the trains in the real world even become gaming elements, allowing players to experience the same in the virtual world.

References

MTR. (2016, December 28). MTR South Island Line Opens for Passenger Service Extending Railway Network to Reach All 18 Districts of Hong Kong, from https://www.mtr.com.hk/archive/corporate/en/press_release/PR-16-134-E.pdf

Wikipedia. (2018, August 30). Clock Tower, Hong Kong. Retrieved September 3, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock_Tower,_Hong_Kong

Wikipedia. (2018, September 02). Rail transport in Hong Kong. Retrieved September 3, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Hong_Kong

Wikipedia. (2018, September 05). Sha Tin to Central Link. Retrieved September 6, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sha_Tin_to_Central_Link