No let up in Hong Kong's railway expansion - Rapid Transit: Hong Kong

International Railway Journal, May, 2002 by David Briginshaw

It almost seems as though there is no limit to the expansion of Hong Kong's commuter rail and metro networks. Six new lines or extensions will open between now and 2007, and a further six projects are at an advanced stage of planning for implementation between 2006 and 2012.

KOWLOON Canton Railway's (KCR) senior director of capital projects, Mr James Blake, succinctly summarised the implications of this expansion programme. "Opening of these 12 railways will boost the rail length in Hong Kong by 75% to 250km. By 2016, our railway networks will capture more than 80% of the total population in Hong Kong and account for 45% of the public transport ridership. The total capital cost of these 12 projects is in excess of $HK 200 billion ($US 25.6 billion)."

Two projects are rapidly nearing completion: the Tseung Kwan O (TKO) Line, which the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) will open in mid-August, and West Rail which KCR is confident will open earlier than the scheduled completion date of December next year.

The TKO Line is designed to serve the rapidly expanding new town of Tseung Kwan O. The project is unusual in that it also involves diverting the Kwun Tong Line to Yau Tong, where passengers will have cross-platform interchange with TKO Line services to Hong Kong Island, and Tiu Keng Leng. The cross-harbour tunnel to Quarry Bay and North Point will in future be used by the TKO Line instead of the Kwun Tong Line. MTR has already started a publicity campaign to inform Kwun Tong Line passengers about the change. Yau Tong station will open two weeks earlier than the rest of the TKO Line to enable passengers to get used to the new arrangements.

The TKO Line will be operated by a fleet of 13 eight-car trains being supplied by Mitsubishi, Japan, and Rotem, Korea. MTR expects the trains to be significantly quieter than its existing fleet. The new trains will have stainless-steel bodies. Air-conditioning and batteries will be more powerful than on current trains. As a result each new train will weigh 16 tonnes more. The end cars are not powered and only have emergency brakes. The trains are equipped for driverless turnround at the terminal stations, a system which MTR has now put into operation at Tsuen Wan and Sheung Wan.

A new depot has been built at Tseung Kwan O South by Amec and Ove Arup. MTR awarded a seven-year contract to Goninan, Australia, to operate the depot and maintain trains. There is an option to extend the contract for another seven years. A station will also be built at Tseung Kwan O South when the population has built up. In typical MTR style, 52 tower blocks up to 60 stories high will be built on the 8.5 hectare podium above the depot to house up to 50,000 people.

MTR is a strong believer in developing its land for housing and other uses. Not only does this help to recoup the cost of expanding the metro, but it also generates traffic for it. KCR does not share this philosophy, as its CEO, Mr K Y Yeung, pointed out: "We do not believe in developing property simply to make a buck. Property development is cyclical, and at the moment it is flat so we could lose money. We are only interested if it adds ridership, which is a very different mindset from our sister company."

Nevertheless, both KCR and MTR are corporations with considerable independence from the Hong Kong government. Both organisations are free to set their own fares. "Our corporate status insulates us from political interference," Yeung said. "We have statutory rights, which means we can lodge a claim for compensation if the government forces us to do things which affect our profitability."

Yeung described West Rail as the second largest engineering project ever undertaken in Hong Kong's history. The first being the new Chek Lap Kok airport and associated transport links. The line will provide the first rail link between Kowloon and the northwestern New Territories. It will connect with MTR's Tsuen Wan Line and the Airport Railway in Kowloon and KCR's own LRT network serving Yuen Long and Tuen Mun.

In typical Hong Kong style, Yeung expects to open West Rail early and significantly under budget. The 30.5km double-track electrified line has 14.7km of tunnels, 13.4km of viaducts, and only 2.4km of embankments, plus nine stations and a depot. According to West Rail's director, Mr Ian Thoms, 97.5% of civil structures are complete, 57% of railway installations are in place, and five of the nine stations have been topped out, which means that overall the project is 70% complete. "We are now preparing for testing and commissioning, and planning for operational readiness," Thoms said. "We will decide this summer when the actual opening will take place."

The new Japanese-built trains will run on a test track for 15 months before they arrive on West Rail. Trial operation will last three months. Staff recruitment and training is part of the overall project so that Thoms will hand over an operating railway.

The cost of West Rail has been reduced from $HK 64 billion to $HK 46.4 billion. In fact, in 1998 it was feared that the project might exceed the $HK 64 billion price tag agreed with the government. The line will have Alcatel's Seltrac moving block signalling system. "When we knew we could achieve 105-second headways, which will provide a better on-demand service to customers, we knew we could reduce the planned length of the trains from 12 to nine cars," Thoms explained. This meant that stations could be smaller. It also led to a value engineering exercise designed to reduce costs. "We also benefited from lower land costs, lower inflation, and lower financing costs."