Caption: Scores of locals and tourists, including public transport enthusiasts, queued this early morning at the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Barra station to take the first train of the system’s first Macau Peninsula-Taipa Island connection, which departed on time at 6:30 a.m. Today’s operational start of the new section via the Macau-Taipa Sai Van Bridge’s lower enclosed deck has raised the government-owned railway system’s total length from 9.3 kilometres to 12.5 kilometres. The ride between the southern tip of the peninsula and the offshore island takes about four minutes. From now on, the LRT network connects the peninsula with the city's two offshore islands, Taipa and Coloane, and Cotai, its gaming precinct on reclaimed land between the two islands. Cotai features Macau's main integrated resorts (IRs) combining casino, hotel, entertainment and leisure facilities, including the Venetian, Galaxy, City of Dreams and Grand Lisboa Palace. – Caption and photos: Tony Wong
