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The Executive Council has approved the further planning of the Shatin to Central Link (SCL) and the Kwun Tong Line Extension by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL).
A Government spokesman said today (March 11) that the 17-kilometre SCL will have nine stations, namely, Tai Wai, Diamond Hill, Kai Tak, To Kwa Wan, Ma Tau Wai, Homantin, Hung Hom, Exhibition and Admiralty.
It will serve a residential population of 300,000 and working population of 280,000, connecting the Northeast New Territories and Hong Kong Island via South East Kowloon.
The SCL will link up several existing railway lines, creating two distinctive east-west and north-south railway corridors. From east to west, it will connect the Ma On Shan Line, the Kowloon Southern Link and the West Rail Line, allowing commuters to travel in a direct line from Ma On Shan to Tuen Mun.
The north-south corridor will be formed by extending the existing East Rail Line across the harbour, which will allow passengers to travel from Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau to the heart of Hong Kong Island without having to switch trains.
¡°The SCL will also provide interchanges with other railway lines. Six of the nine SCL stations - Tai Wai, Diamond Hill, Homantin, Hung Hom, Exhibition and Admiralty - will provide passengers with either an inter-platform or inter-level interchange for other lines,¡± the spokesman said.
¡°Among them, Tai Wai and Admiralty will be the two key interchange stations. The former is where the Ma On Shan Line, East Rail Line and SCL will converge whereas the latter will allow SCL passengers to change trains for the Tsuen Wan Line, the Island Line and the future South Island Line.¡±
The SCL can effectively redistribute the passenger flow and hence relieve pressure on the existing railway lines in urban Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island. It will also help relieve the reliance on road-based public transport and thus alleviate traffic congestion and environmental nuisance on existing road networks.
It is estimated that the SCL will carry about one million passengers per day in 2021 and generate an annual economic benefit of $4 billion in terms of travel time saving.
¡°The project will provide essential support for the proposed new commercial and residential developments as well as leisure facilities planned at Kai Tak, including the Multi-purpose Stadium Complex and the Metro Park,¡± the spokesman said.
¡°Old districts such as To Kwa Wan and Kowloon City are expected to see a surge of redevelopment opportunities with the improved public transport infrastructure.¡±
The new railway will create 11,000 jobs during construction and another 9,600 during its operation.
The train depot for the SCL will be built at Diamond Hill, for which an environmental impact assessment will be conducted and suitable mitigation measures adopted to minimise its impact on the surroundings.
The spokesman pointed out that as it is technically difficult and unsafe to build a station at Tsz Wan Shan, the Government will consider increasing pedestrian facilities and review the minibus services to improve transport services and connectivity with the SCL.
In the light of future railway service demands, and in consideration of the interfaces between the SCL and the various development plans and infrastructure projects along its alignment, the Government intends to have the SCL completed in phases, with the Tai Wai to Hung Hom section by 2015 and the cross harbour section by 2019.
After careful consideration of both the operational and financial implications, the Government has decided to adopt a concession approach to fund the estimated construction cost of $37.4 billion. Upon completion, the MTRCL will be granted a service concession for the subsequent operation and pay the Government annually for the concession.
Apart from the SCL, the Government will also implement the Kwun Tong Line Extension to provide a railway service for the Whampoa area. The scheme will involve an extension of the existing Kwun Tong Line from Yau Ma Tei Station to Whampoa with an intermediate station at Homantin, scheduled for completion by 2015.
The extension will serve the 140,000 people living in Whampoa and Homantin with an estimated daily patronage of 180,000 in 2016.
¡°With this extension, passengers from Whampoa will be able to reach Mong Kok in five minutes, compared with 25 minutes by road-based transport during today¡¯s rush hour. Furthermore, Homantin Station will be an integrated interchange station, which will allow passengers to change from there to other stations,¡± the spokesman said.
The Kwun Tong Line Extension will be implemented as an MTR project under an ownership approach. The Government will discuss with the MTRCL how the funding gap of $2.2 billion should be bridged.
The Government will further consult the public on both projects in order to formulate a first-rate and efficient railway scheme that will best serve Hong Kong.
Works for both projects are expected to start in 2010.
Ends/Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Issued at HKT 17:13
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