The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will be even better served by railway systems, as various proposals were made recently to more closely knit Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, New Territories and outlying islands.

Such a vision for a better transport-linked Hong Kong will soonbecome a partial reality, as the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC)'s Tseung Kwan O Line, which will enable better access to the extreme east of the Kowloon peninsula, is scheduled to become fully operational on August 11.

According to the MTRC, the new line is expected to help bring the people of Hong Kong more closely together for school, work andshopping.

As for more speedy commuting between the Hong Kong Island's central business district of Central and the New Territories' new town of Shatin with a swelling population, the Hong Kong SAR ChiefExecutive Tung Chee Hwa and the Executive Council recently officially approved the construction of a fourth cross-harbor raillink to this end.

The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) has been awarded the contract to construct and operate such a link, and thus breaking the monopoly of the MTRC in the offering of cross-harbor railway services.

The new railway line will consist of 10 stations at an estimated construction cost of 26 billion HK dollars (about 3.3 billion US dollars). The line, which measures 17.1 kilometers, will start from the current Tai Wai Station in Shatin, passing through Kowloon's Diamond Hill, the defunct Kai Tak International Airport site, To Kwa Wan, Ma Tau Wai, Ho Man Tin, Hung Hom, the Hong Kong Island's Convention and Exhibition Center in Wanchai, Admiralty, Queen's Road Central and Central West.

The new link is expected to be completed in 2008, and it is estimated that passengers need only 22 minutes to travel between Shatin and Central.

HKSAR Legislative Councilor Lau Kong Wah, who specializes in Hong Kong's transport policy, recently said residents living in ToKwa Wan and Ma Tau Wai have expressed welcome on the government's decision to build the new line, saying that the line is a potential source to bring prosperity to the area.

Meanwhile, the HKSAR government recently confirmed that the MTRC has submitted a proposal to the government to recommend the building of a Hong Kong Island south extension line to bring convenience to the 500,000 residents living or working in districts in both the western end and southern tip of Hong Kong Island, such as, Western Market, Cyperport, Wah Fu Estates, Wong Chuk Hang and the Ocean Park.

Sources from the HKSAR Environment, Transport and Works Bureau said the proposed extension line is to include the Wanchai stationand a station in Happy Valley.

The HKSAR government is currently studying the proposal and is expected to come out with an official response in October.

A district councilor of Hong Kong's Southern District Chan See Chung said as residents in the sourthern district have long suffered traffic congestion whenever there is a landslide, typhoonor traffic accidents, the proposed line should help ease the inconvenience if implemented.

Besides, HKSAR government and the legislative councilors were again studying the construction of a railway in Penny's Bay at theLegislative Council meeting Wednesday. The railway line will link the Disney Theme Park in the bay with Yam O on Lantau Island.

According to sources, the timely completion of the railway in 2005 is essential, as any delay will lead to delay in the opening of the theme park and thus, the loss of tourism revenue for Hong Kong.

"A three-month delay will incur a 2 billion Hong Kong dollars (256.4 million US dollars) loss in tourism and retail, whereas a one-year delay would cost Hong Kong a loss of up to 7 billion dollars ( 897.4 million US dollars)," he said.

( People's Daily July 25, 2002)