MTR to offer half-price fares on October 24 Thank You Day

MTR Corporation announced today (15th) that it will hold a Thank You Day on Saturday, October 24, when fares across most of its network will be half price.

The offer will cover more than the urban lines. Passengers travelling on the MTR heavy rail network, Light Rail or MTR Bus services in the north-west New Territories with an Octopus card or JoyYou Card, as well as those paying by QR code, will be eligible for half-price fares. Cross-boundary journeys on the East Rail line to and from Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau stations will also be included. The discount can be used together with interchange concessions, Fare Saver offers and the 25 per cent discount on connecting journeys under the Monthly Pass. The HK$2 concession for elderly passengers and eligible people with disabilities will not be affected — in other words, passengers already paying the HK$2 fare will pay half of that on the day.

Passengers should note the exclusions. First Class on the East Rail line, the Airport Express, MTR feeder buses and the Hong Kong section of the high-speed rail will not be covered. Journeys paid for with physical or electronic single-journey tickets, contactless credit cards or debit cards will also be excluded; only Octopus, JoyYou Card and QR code payments will qualify.

The arrangement stems from the “Service Performance Rebate” provision under the MTR fare adjustment mechanism. Under the mechanism, once the penalties imposed on MTR for service delays reach a specified amount, the corporation must hold a network-wide half-price “special fare day” on a designated Saturday or Sunday — the formal name for what is known as Thank You Day. The provision was introduced in 2023 when the Government and MTR reviewed the fare adjustment mechanism. It sets out how the rebate is funded and when a discount day must be held, meaning the offer is not a promotional campaign launched at MTR’s discretion.

MTR said it would deploy additional staff at stations to assist passengers on the day, and adjust train frequencies and staffing arrangements as needed.