The MTR Corporation Limited came into existence on 30 June 2000, succeeding the Mass Transit Railway Corporation which had been established in 1975 as a Government owned statutory Corporation. With a daily patronage of over 2.2 million passengers, the MTR is one of the most intensively utilised mass transit railway systems in the world, transporting 1 in 3 of Hong Kong's population every day. Through effective and efficient management in planning, design, operations, maintenance and continuous improvement of its railway services, MTR has been confirmed by recent benchmarking studies as one of the world's finest railways for reliability, customer service and cost-efficiency. MTR currently operates 82.2 km of railway, comprising 5 railway lines with 44 stations, of which 10 are interchanges to provide convenient transfer between the lines.

In conjunction with railway development, MTR plays an important role in establishing new property complexes above our stations and depots. The Corporation is committed to developing and managing these properties to the highest standards, providing a high quality living and working environment and creating new communities. At present a total of 3.3 million square metres of residential and commercial floorspace is being or has been constructed along the Airport Railway at Hong Kong, Kowloon, Olympic, Tsing Yi and Tung Chung Stations.