In 1881, Alexander Findlay Smith first put the project of a Peak Railway into shape and presented a petition for a concession to the governor of Hong Kong. The necessary legislation was passed two years later. Findlay Smith did not approach the project rashly. Travelling extensively in
Europe and
America, he made himself conversant with nearly every existing method of railway employed for mountain ascent —
San Francisco,
Scarborough,
Rigi,
Monterey,
Lucerne, the
Rhine,
Mount Vesuvius — and returned to Hong Kong thoroughly convinced of the feasibility of his idea. The actual construction was begun in September 1885 and in May 1888 the line was officially opened. Smith's business partner, N. J. Ede, owned and lived in the house next to the Upper Terminus, originally named Dunheved, which they converted into the
original Peak Hotel. It took three years to build the Peak Tram. Most of the heavy equipment and rails needed for the construction were hauled uphill by the workers with no mechanical support. According to photographs, the Garden Road terminus was originally an unadorned building, a large clock face was added to the edifice probably between the 1910s and 1920s. The Peak Tram was opened for public service on 28 May 1888 by the then governor
Sir George William des Voeux. The tram's existence accelerated the residential development of Victoria Peak and the
Mid-Levels. From its opening in 1888 until 1926, the Peak Tram divided into three classes: • First Class: British colonial officials and residents of Victoria Peak • Second Class: British military and Hong Kong Police Force personnel • Third Class: Other people and animals The initial upward trip fares were
HKD 30 cents (First Class), 20 cents (Second Class) and 10 cents (Third Class) while the downward trip was half these prices. From 1908 to 1949, the first two seats in the front of the tram were reserved for the
governor of Hong Kong, to which was attached a bronze plaque reading: "This seat is reserved for His Excellency the Governor". The seats were not available to ordinary passengers until two minutes before departure. In the course of its history, the tram has been a victim of two natural disasters, caused by floods from heavy rainfall, which washed away steep sections of the track between
Bowen Road and
Kennedy Road. The first was in 1899, and the second occurred on 12 June 1966. • Purchasing new trams to increase the passenger capacity of the Peak Tram from 120 to 210 passengers per trip, which will greatly reduce the waiting time for passengers by approximately 75–91% • Extend the Garden Road tram station and build the platform about uphill, after arriving at the "Red Brick House" in the WWF Central Visitor Center, providing a covered, temperature-controlled and comfortable waiting area for queuing, as well as providing a moderate amount of entertainment (such as historical exhibits on the Peak Tram) for approximately 1,300 waiting passengers • Refurbishment of the upper platform of the Peak Tram Station, including widening the boarding platform; increasing the number of gates and ticket counters, and setting up a larger waiting area in front of the ticket office • More effective crowd monitoring to ensure the safety of tourists, employees and pedestrians • Further enhancement of the image of the Peak Tram and maintaining the status of the tram as an important tourism and leisure facility The project was expected to be completed in 2021, during which the construction was divided into two phases. The first phase, which lasted from April 23, 2019, saw the Peak Tram being suspended for 2 to 3 months. The maintenance plan included the extension of the Peak Terminus and Garden Road Terminus, which was completed on July 22 of the same year. After the completion of the first phase of the project, the Peak Tram service was resumed for about 12 to 15 months. During this period, due to the expansion and renovation of the Garden Road Terminus, passengers used the temporary platform and queue outside the station. The second phase began on June 28, 2021, with the closure of the line. New tram carriages were installed, with longer bodies, and passenger capacity increased from 120 to 210. At the same time, power and towing systems, rail, control and signal systems and cables were replaced, and the renovation of the Peak Terminus and the Garden Road Terminus were complete, with the expansion of the former to cater for the new and larger tram carriage. The project improved the waiting environment, replaced tracks, improved foundations, cable car bridges and other structures. The government stated that the entire development plan invested more than 700 million Hong Kong dollars. Final project costs were $799m HKD (£87m). After a closure of 14 months, the tram was reopened on 27 August 2022, though tourist numbers in Hong Kong are a fraction of their pre-COVID levels. The upgrade's opening ceremony was held on 2 December 2022. It commenced with the lighting-up of the Eye of Infinity, a 10-metre-tall sculpture at the Central Terminus by Australian artist Lindy Lee, a commission that was part of the overall project.
Heritage buildings Barker Road Tram Station Built in 1919, Barker Road Station is the oldest surviving Peak Tram station. The station building is a striking open structure featuring semi-circular arches topping its columns, and has classical and Art Deco influences. The arches on the street side have ornamental ironwork with a radiating pattern (the current ironwork being installed in 2008). There is a cantilevered canopy on the Barker Road side which is believed to have originally been a coolie shelter for sedan chair and rickshaw bearers. The building, annex and walkway extension have changed little with the passage of time. It is a
Grade I historic building.
The Peak Depot The Peak Depot (山頂倉庫) is a rendered brick two-storey rectangular building close to The Peak Terminus with a place in Hong Kong's transportation and water supply history. It was built c.1903.as a 'chair coolie house' - a shelter and quarters for sedan chair 'coolies' whose customers were going to and from the terminus. From around 1910 it was used as a waterworks office, workshop and depot, having accommodation for waterworks workers upstairs up to WW2, but is now vacant. It's siting and views make it a potential adaptive reuse site. It is a
Grade II historic building.
No. 1 Lugard Road and
The Peak Lookout: the white building is No. 1 Lugard Road. The building at No. 1
Lugard Road, located next to the
Peak Tower and
The Peak Lookout, was built about 1927 by The Peak Tramways Co. Ltd. as a workshop, with an additional floor added in 1953 to provide a flat for the General Manager of Company. The building is still owned and used by the Peak Tramways Company. It has been a
Grade III historic building since 2010. == Statistics ==