Railway Projects

The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) continued to make rapid progress on its West Rail (Phase I), a 30.5-kilometre passenger railway running from Sham Shui Po in West Kowloon to Tuen Mun in the north-western New Territories. Construction work, under way for four years, reached its peak in 2001. By the end of the year, civil engineering works were nearing completion, and the West Rail was well on target to commence operation by December 2003.

Milestones during the year included the 'break-throughs' for the Tai Lam Tunnel and the Kwai Tsing Tunnels, and topping out of the Tin Shui Wai Station, the Tuen Mun Station and the KCRC West Rail Building in Kam Tin. The railway's viaduct structure, totalling 13.4 kilometres, was also completed. By year-end, 47 kilometres out of a total of 88 kilometres of track had been laid.

The KCRC's Ma On Shan Rail and Tsim Sha Tsui Extension projects entered the construction phase in November 2000 and March, respectively. By year-end, with 22 per cent of the overall implementation completed, both projects were well on schedule for completion in 2004. The Ma On Shan Rail is a 11.4-kilometre rail link from Tai Wai to Wu Kai Sha and will have nine stations. For the Tsim Sha Tsui Extension, it will extend the KCR East Rail by about one kilometre from the existing Hung Hom terminus to a new station in Tsim Sha Tsui East.

To relieve the congestion at Lo Wu and to provide a second rail link to meet the ever-increasing cross-boundary rail passenger traffic, the corporation during the year continued with planning for the 7.4-kilometre Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spur Line. Following the Government's endorsement of the KCRC's proposal to adopt the tunnel cum viaduct approach as the way forward for the Spur Line, an amended scheme was gazetted in December under the Railways Ordinance. Subject to the completion of the relevant statutory process, it is expected construction work on the Spur Line project will commence in late 2002 with a target completion date in mid-2007.

The MTR Corporation Limited expects to complete the construction of its 12.5-kilometre Tseung Kwan O Extension in 2002. This project involves the building of a Tseung Kwan O Line that will provide a direct service between the new town and Hong Kong Island.

The corporation also continued with the detailed design for the Penny's Bay Rail Link on Lantau Island. This is a 3.5-kilometre single-track system that will connect a new Yam O station on the existing Tung Chung Line to Penny's Bay where the Hong Kong Disneyland is to be built. Construction of the railway is expected to start in 2002 for commissioning in 2005.

New railway projects planned for completion between 2008 and 2016 include the Sha Tin to Central Link, the Island Line Extensions, the Kowloon Southern Link and the Northern Link. Development of the Regional Express Line and the Port Rail Line will depend on the growth of cross-boundary passenger and freight traffic, respectively. These projects will involve a total investment of another $100 billion.