HKU () is a station on the Hong Kong MTR located in the Shek Tong Tsui neighbourhood of Western, Hong Kong. The station is named after the adjacent University of Hong Kong. Its livery is mint green.
Part of the West Island line, a westward extension to the existing , HKU station opened on 28 December 2014 along with Kennedy Town station.
As of its opening, HKU station was the largest and deepest cavern station in the MTR network, at 250 metres long and 22 metres wide, below ground.
History
Before the 1980s, an MTR station by the name of Whitty () was planned to be built underground at Des Voeux Road West, near Ka On Street, Whitty Street and Hill Road. Lots at Chong Yip Centre and Pacific Plaza were reserved for future station exits and concourse. This was part of a planned extension of the Island line that was never built, but which was replaced by the West Island line project, of which HKU station forms a part.
The MTR Corporation let out a tender for the construction of the and HKU stations and of tunnel. In 2009, the design and architecture was awarded to Aedas in joint venture with AECOM. The construction work was awarded to Gammon Construction (half owned by Balfour Beatty) for HK$4.7 billion. Construction commenced in 2010 and was completed in 2014. HKU station opened on 28 December 2014.
Naming
There were disputes among locals and district councillors over the station's name. Some suggested to restore the previous official name "Belcher" (, , bou2 ceoi3) after The Belcher's, a housing development in the area, as well as Belcher Street and Belcher Bay. Some believed that the MTR Corporation's decision to change the name to "University" was not well consulted within the community, while others worried that it might cause confusion with another existing on the , near the campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Some also suggested "Shek Tong Tsui", after the area the station would serve.
In August 2009, MTR named the station "Hong Kong University". The latest revision changed the English name to "HKU", the abbreviation of The University of Hong Kong nearby.
Station layout
{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;border-top:solid 1px gray;width:50px;vertical-align:top;"|G
|style="border-top:solid 1px gray;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;width:100px;vertical-align:top;"|Ground level
|style="border-top:solid 1px gray;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;vertical-align:top;"|Exits/Entrances
|-
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;vertical-align:top;"|C
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;vertical-align:top;"|Concourse
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;vertical-align:top;"|Customer Service
|-
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;vertical-align:top;" rowspan=3|P<br/>Platforms
|Platform
| towards <small>()</small> →
|-
|style="border-top:solid 2px black;border-right:solid 2px black;border-left:solid 2px black;border-bottom:solid 2px black;font-size:smaller;text-align:center;" colspan=2|Island platform, doors will open on the right
|-
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;"|Platform
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;"|← Island line towards <small>(Terminus)</small>
|}
The station is located under Pok Fu Lam Road. It has two tracks and one center island platform. In addition, the MTR has built elevators to link HKU station to the University of Hong Kong. The HKU station is located at a depth of , making it the deepest station in the MTR system upon its opening.
HKU station features designated refuge areas, to which passengers can be evacuated in case of emergency. Refuge areas are pressurised and equipped with fire systems including sprinklers and fire curtains, and independent power supply units. HKU station is the first station in the MTR network to apply such shelter design and the use of lifts to reach safety. As exits A1, A2 and C1 are situated deep underneath Mid-Levels, only express lifts are used to transport passengers. This makes HKU station the first station in the MTR system to feature lift-only exits. In response to the significant congestion issue, the Information Technology Services of the University of Hong Kong has introduced the "MTR Queuing Condition" feature on the HKU App. It delivers real-time queuing status between the University Street and MTR HKU Station Exit A2. This has made real-time queuing status accessible to users, allowing them to plan their commutes.
2019-2020 Hong Kong Protests
In the series of local demonstrations from 2019 to 2020, facilities of more than 20 MTR stations were vandalised, including the HKU Station. The lifts serving Exit C1 were propped open and damaged. Protesters also installed roadblocks at the campus entrances at Exits A1, A2 and C1 to prevent police from entering.
The MTR Corporation strongly condemned vandalism. On November 13, it announced that the HKU Station would close at 8pm.
Future
HKU station is proposed to be an interchange station for the Island line and the South Island line (West). The platforms of the South Island line (West) will be built under those of the Island line.
Gallery
<gallery>
File:HKU Station Concourse Shops 201503.jpg|Shops (West Concourse)
File:East shops in HKU Station.jpg|Shops (East Concourse)
File:Hong Kong University Station 2014 12 part3.JPG|Walkways
File:Hong Kong University Station 2014 12 part9.JPG|Concourse
File:HKU Station 2020 03 part4.jpg
</gallery>