Macau Light Rail Network Proposes Vast Expansion With Six Additional Lines
Posted on: January 26, 2026, 11:35h.
Last updated on: January 26, 2026, 11:54h.
- Macau is considering expanding its public rail network
- Demand for public transportation is increasing as tourism expands in the enclave
- Macau set an annual visitation record in 2025
The Macau Light Rail is headed for its first major expansion since the public transportation network commenced operations just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Officially, the Macau Light Rapid Transit — the city’s first railway system — opened in December 2019. The current network consists of three lines — the downtown Taipa Line, running from the Barra border checkpoint to the Taipa Ferry Terminal, the Seac Pai Van Line in Cotai, running from Union Hospital to Seac Pai Van Zoo, and the Hengqin Line, connecting Lotus Station with the Hengqin checkpoint.
The Macau Public Works Bureau recently unveiled plans to expand the Macau Light Rapid Transit operation. Proposed lines would better connect the downtown peninsula area and expand its reach on the Cotai Strip and parts south, including Cologne.
The East Line, currently under construction and slated to open in 2029, will run from the Qingmao Port and the Border Gate south through Citizens Sports Park to the Taipa Ferry Terminal. The East Line is roughly 50% complete.
Proposed lines include a West Line and South Line, as well as an extension to the East Line.
The Macau Light Rapid Transit averaged 26,400 riders per day in 2025, with November seeing the most activity at 32,600 ticketed passengers per day. The Macau rail cars are fully automated and can carry up to 476 passengers at a time.
Casino Rail Stops
Among the six proposed additional transit lines is the South Line, which would run underground from Barra east to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Frontier Post. The South Line’s nine stations would serve Wynn and MGM Macau, StarWorld, and Sands Macau.
Macau government officials say the proposed lines would address the city’s lack of rail transit at key entry points. The network expansion would also help ease the need for public buses and casino resort shuttles.
The additional lines aren’t a done deal, as the local government has only initiated a public consultation on the “Macau Light Rail Development Strategy Study,” which will run for 30 days.
Record Visitation
Macau’s public transit system is primarily used by middle- and lower-class residents, and Chinese mainlanders who travel in and out of the Special Administrative Region daily to work. However, as Macau’s casino industry has switched focus from the VIP high roller to the general public, there’s a need for additional public transportation.
Macau welcomed a record 40 million visitors in 2025. That marked a nearly 15% increase on the prior year to the enclave that’s less than 46 square miles. The increase in tourism resulted in the six casinos collectively winning $30.9 billion from gamblers, a 9.1% year-over-year increase and the highest mark since 2019.
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