KCRC chairman Michael Tien Puk-sun said the relatively low figures were not a concern because commuters needed time to become familiar with the service.

'Most people wouldn't try the new line on the first working day; they have to rush to the office and don't want to be late,' Mr Tien said after visiting the station in the morning.

He said it would take three months to assess whether passengers were changing their habits and opting for the new station. The corporation would closely monitor operations during that period.

Directory signs with simplified characters would be installed to cater to mainland tourists, he said.

Tang Hing-sin, a civil servant living in Sha Tin, tested the new service on his way home from work. He said it would provide more direct and convenient access to his office in Tsim Sha Tsui.

'I didn't want to get in late in the morning, who knows what would happen,' he said. 'I tried the new line after work as I was not in a hurry. If it turns out to be smooth, I think I will opt for the KCR from now on.'

Another passenger, Eric Lee, who usually takes the KCR from his Tai Po home to Mongkok and changes for a bus to his office in Pokfulam, said he would use the new service after work to avoid traffic congestion.

'The traffic is very congested in Jordan after work,' he said. 'Taking a KCR train from TST East can save me about half an hour, though it's $2 more expensive. But I will still take a bus to work as it's more convenient for me.'

The KCRC said it had deployed about 50 assistants in the TST East station to help passengers with inquiries.

Alex Tse Kin-wai, the operator of a green minibus that shuttles between Hunghom and Tsim Sha Tsui, said business dropped by about 40 per cent yesterday.

Mr Tse said that before the new line's operation, half of his passengers were taking the minibus from Tsim Sha Tsui to Hunghom railway stations. But this group of commuters had dropped by 60 per cent, he said.