a railway connecting the new Hong Kong International Airport to the city centre. To link Central with the nearby Hong Kong station, the southern terminus of the Tung Chung line and the Airport Express, a passageway was built under Connaught Road to connect the two stations. The passageway starts at the Pedder Street concourse and was built with a design similar to that of Hong Kong station. The passage connects the paid areas of both stations (particularly from Central to the Tung Chung line of Hong Kong station). There is no unpaid link (though access to the Airport Express line at Hong Kong station from other lines at Central or vice versa requires an out-of-system transfer as the Airport Express line follows a separate fare scheme from the rest of the MTR system). Station layout Central station has four platforms on three levels. The top level includes platform 3 and is built beneath Des Voeux Road Central at the intersection of Pedder Street, stretching from World-Wide House to Alexandra House, on the northern side of the road. The platform serves Chai Wan-bound trains on the Island line and this level includes the connecting walkway to Hong Kong station. The middle level includes platforms 1 and 2 using a shared island. They serve the Tsuen Wan line and were built directly under Chater Road, extending from Des Voeux Road Central to Club Street. The bottom level, two levels from the top level, is platform 4, for Island line trains in the direction of Kennedy Town. Passengers from platform 3 transferring to platforms 1 or 2 use the regular escalators on the Chater Road concourse. There are designated escalators from platforms 1 and 2 to platform 4 for the sole purpose of transfer. The Tsuen Wan line platforms are straight and were built by cut-and-cover. Most of the length of the Island line platforms is the same, although the eastern part (towards ) is curved and the gap is large, as they are located in sections of bored tunnels and have the curved walls typical of most other stations on the Island line. Entrances and exits Central station stretches underneath Chater Road from Statue Square in the east and underneath Des Voeux Road to Li Yuen Street East in the west. The distance between the easternmost and westernmost exits is approximately 700m. There are 13 entrances, connecting buildings, shopping malls, main roads