The East Rail line () is one of ten lines of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system in Hong Kong. It used to be one of the three lines of the Kowloon–Canton Railway (KCR) network. It was known as the KCR British Section () from 1910 to 1996, and the KCR East Rail () from 1996 to 2007. East Rail was the only railway line of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) following the closure of the Sha Tau Kok Railway and before the construction of KCR West Rail (later renamed West Rail line, now part of the Tuen Ma line). The railway line starts at Admiralty on Hong Kong Island and branches in the north at Sheung Shui to terminate at Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau stations. Both are border crossing points into Shenzhen. All of the stations on the line except Admiralty, Exhibition Centre and Hung Hom are at-grade or elevated. The distance between Hung Hom and Lo Wu stations is . The total distance of the line (including the Lok Ma Chau Spur line) is approximately , making it the second longest line in total distance within the system network, behind the Tuen Ma line. The line's colour is light blue. The same railway was used for passenger and freight services crossing the boundary to other cities, including Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing. These longer distance passenger services (dubbed "Through Trains") start at Hung Hom and end at their termini in the mainland. The line is generally double tracked and electrified, except for certain goods sheds. Immigration and customs facilities are available at Hung Hom (for Through Train passengers) and Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau (for border interchange passengers) stations. The MTRC announced the cease of freight services in 2009. Through Train services were suspended in early 2020 amidst the coronavirus pandemic with no plans to resume service despite border reopening's. The railway line was operated by KCRC prior to the MTR–KCR merger and was taken over by MTR Corporation (MTRC) on 2 December 2007. KCRC continues to own the line and its infrastructure while leasing its operations to MTRC. A southern extension which takes the line under Victoria Harbour to a new terminus, Admiralty station, on Hong Kong Island, opened on 15 May 2022. The extension is the centrepiece of the Sha Tin to Central Link expansion project. History Background Proposal The United Kingdom and China signed an