High-speed tram

Few people know that Hong Kong boasts the fastest tramway in the whole world. That is really surprising, since the legendary ‘Ding Ding’ is such a famous tourist attraction. I had heard rumours about the breathtaking speed of these vehicles which otherwise come across as, umm, rather traditional. And don’t you be fooled by the fact that the Wikipedia article doesn’t mention the velocity of these monsters. Yes, the line was built in 1904, yes, it is the world’s largest operational double-decker tram, it is popular, it is eco-friendly, it runs along the northern coastline of Hong Kong Island, bla-bla-bla. But their hair-raising speed is a well-kept secret…

Here’s the ‘Blue Rocket’, for instance:

Followed by the ‘White Lightning’:

I have heard that these reckless drivers (who should be wearing crash helmets, if you ask me…) have a constant battle going on about who is the fastest one.

Next cometh the ‘Book Express’:

And finally, the winner of yesterday’s unofficial race: ‘Superfast International’:

Hiding behind the bus shelter, I managed to secretly measure their speed. At one time, ‘Superfast International’ was doing at least 25 mph! And I only dare to publish this on the internet because I’m leaving the country in a few hours from now anyway…