The Hong Kong government is close to appointing one of two rail companies to develop one of the Territory’s most ambitious tunnelling projects for years.
Officials are poised to appoint either the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) or the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) by the end of this year to finance, design, build and operate the US$4.5bn, 15km long Central-Sha Tin railway.
The railway comprises three sections, most of which will be built underground: a section from Tai Wai on KCRC’s existing East Rail network, to Diamond Hill, East Kowloon line from Diamond Hill to Hung Hom, a fourth harbour crossing and finally the continuation of the railway to the Central business district. The government envisages construction of up to 10 stations. The fourth harbour tunnel is likely to follow the three existing tunnels under Victoria Harbour between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, as an immersed tube.
Sources said the MTRC has submitted alternative offers for an extra station at Tsz Wan San between Tai Wai and Diamond Hill that would provide a catchment of another 100,000 people. It has also proposed extending the existing Kwun Tong line, again by tunnel to Whampoa giving a further 140,000 people access to the rail network.
Further additions propose an interchange at Admiralty between the Central-Sha Tin line and the existing Island Line and a new underground station at Central.
The rail corporation believed it could shave a year off the development programme by carrying out the environmental impact assessment while seeking to comply with the rail development ordinance. This means the railway could open in 2007 instead of 2008.
Rival KCRC has also proposed another Central station with platforms up to 100m below ground. At Admiralty, rather than a direct interchange with the MTR system, the KCRC has proposed a station at nearby Tamar. Although there is a 100m underground passenger link between the KCR and the existing MTR lines, it would also provide a connection with the MTRC’s planned Island Line extension.
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Hong Kong Tunnels
