The Sha Tau Kok Railway (Chinese: 沙頭角鐵路) was a narrow-gauge light rail operated by the Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation, running from Fanling to Sha Tau Kok in the northern New Territories of Hong Kong. It was long and had eight services a day. The time it took to travel from Fanling to Sha Tau Kok was 55 minutes. Background Following the opening of British Section of the Kowloon–Canton Railway (mainline, now East Rail line) in 1911, local authorities in Tai Po District Office proposed the construction of railway branch to boundary town Sha Tau Kok, which was likely to increase the revenue of mainline considering the stable movement of villagers between Sha Tau Kok Market and Sham Chun Market (now Shenzhen). The proposal was accepted by the Hong Kong Government on 28 April 1911. The branch was built reusing the narrow gauge works railway tracks and rolling stock previously used to help construct the mainline. There were also plans to extend the branch south-westerly to Castle Peak, and the Hong Kong Government believed the Chinese Government could okay the extension to Mirs Bay. Service The line was opened to public in two phrases, on 21 December 1911 from Fanling to Shek Chung Au, and on 1 April 1912 to Sha Tau Kok. The delay was the result of alignment disputes over concerns of fung shui. The branch facilitated the officials travelling to Sha Tau Kok, and benefited the villagers in the region, and merchants and workers frequently crossing the Hong Kong–China border. The line was divided into four sections, between Fanling, Hung Leng, Wo Hing, Shek Chung Au, and Sha Tau Kok. The fare was five cents each section, and hence, for example, Fanling to Sha Tau Kok was 20 cents. A tramway system was adopted in February 1916, along with a new fare system of 2 cents from halt to halt. The number of passengers peaked in 1924 with 82,505 in the particular year, and dropped significantly afterwards until the closure four years later. Closure 1922 seamen's strike and political instability forced the periodical suspension of train service, with trains not stopping Sha Tau Kok station occasionally in 1922 and 1923. Foreseeing the inevitable closing of branch after the decision to build Sha Tau Kok Road in 1923, the KCR Corporation kept the expenditure as low as possible, but the number of passenger carried ironically rose to a record high.