Receipts attached 5 sources
Sources
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Other source
MTR Thank You Day terms for October 24
Current fare eligibility, payment methods, exclusions, interchange and rounding rules
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Other source
MTR announces October 24 half-fare day
JoyYou eligibility, cross-boundary coverage, staffing and Service Performance Rebate basis
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Other source
Government explains Special Fare Days
Within-control disruptions of at least 31 minutes and HK$25 million threshold
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Other source
Revised Service Performance Rebate schedule
HK$2.4 million set-aside for a peak-period disruption exceeding one hour and lasting no more than two
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Other source
July 2025 half-fare day
Prior day's HK$19.2 million Tseung Kwan O Line component; not attributed to October 2026
Limits
The MTR's September announcement confirms today's promotion but does not itemize the disruptions behind this rebate pool. The 2023 fare mechanism and the 2025 Thank You Day are background, not evidence that any specific delay funded October 24. Eligible payment methods and exclusions should be checked against the MTR's live terms before travel.
Corrections
No correction notes have been added for this article.
Hong Kong’s MTR is charging half fare on eligible trips today, Saturday, October 24. The discount is automatic for Octopus and JoyYou Card journeys on the MTR, Light Rail and MTR Bus in the Northwest New Territories, and for QR-code journeys on the heavy rail network. It includes trips to and from Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau.
The payment method matters. Contactless bank cards, physical or electronic single-journey tickets, the Airport Express, high-speed rail and the East Rail Line’s First Class premium are excluded. The MTR also excludes its Feeder Bus service. An Octopus trip on Light Rail must have both entry and exit records and be completed within 120 minutes.
Octopus and QR codes do not get identical terms
Octopus users can combine the 50 percent reduction with eligible interchange and Fare Saver discounts, the 25 percent Monthly Pass connecting-journey discount and the government’s public-transport concession for older riders and eligible people with disabilities. For a Monthly Pass connecting journey, the half-fare calculation follows the 25 percent reduction. QR-code riders cannot combine today’s discount with other fare promotions.
At Tsim Sha Tsui and East Tsim Sha Tsui, an Octopus interchange made within 30 minutes counts as one journey. The MTR treats a QR-code interchange there as two separate trips, with the half fare calculated on each. The operator rounds the discount up to the next 10 cents. Its current terms give the full list of exclusions and combinations.
How service disruptions funded the day
The promotion is called a Thank You Day, but it is funded through the Service Performance Rebate in the MTR Fare Adjustment Mechanism. The operator sets aside money for disruptions of at least 31 minutes caused by factors within its control. Under the published schedule, a disruption lasting more than one hour and up to two hours during the defined peak period adds HK$2.4 million to the pool. Once the pool reaches HK$25 million, the MTR arranges a weekend half-fare day.
That is a system-wide fare concession, not a refund reserved for passengers caught in a particular disruption. The MTR’s announcement of today’s day does not itemize the incidents that filled the pool. It therefore cannot be attributed to one delayed train.
A previous half-fare day took place on July 13, 2025. The MTR said HK$19.2 million from a May 22 Tseung Kwan O Line disruption, combined with the pool’s existing balance, funded that earlier day. That HK$19.2 million belongs to 2025, not today’s promotion.
The MTR says it will add station staff today and adjust service and staffing if necessary. Riders should check the operator’s current service notices before setting out.