The China Development Forum 2026 started in Beijing on Sunday, bringing together global business leaders and policymakers to explore sustainable economic growth under China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). Among the distinguished speakers, Jacob Kam, chairman of MTR Corp, highlighted the Hong Kong-based railway operator's two-decade journey contributing to the development of urban rail transit in the Chinese mainland.

Dedicated service

MTR, a global leader in railway operations, has served Hong Kong for more than 40 years, gathering technical expertise and experience across the entire life cycle of railway projects. Twenty years ago, the corporation seized the opportunity presented by the mainland's rapid urbanization, expanding its operations northward.

Since then, MTR has participated in the investment, construction and operation of rail transit projects in key cities across the mainland.

As of 2025, nine railway lines by MTR in Beijing, Hangzhou and Shenzhen are fully operational, expanding the total network length to 361 kilometers and providing safe, reliable and convenient services to over 4.3 million passengers daily, according to the corporation. That makes MTR one of the few operators capable of managing metro systems in multiple cities across both China and international markets, it said.

Kam recalled when many mainland cities were developing their metro systems. Hong Kong's metro system, known for its safety, efficiency and service quality, earned the trust of local governments, according to Kam. Coupled with national policy support for Hong Kong enterprises, this opened the path for MTR's development on the mainland.