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Following is a question by the Hon Andrew Cheng and an oral reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, in the Legislative Council meeting today (February 23):

Question:

I have recently received complaints about poor air quality at Platforms 5 and 6 of the Hung Hom Station, for the use of through trains some of which are diesel trains from the Mainland.  I understand that currently there is no legislation in Hong Kong governing the air quality in public transport facilities such as railways and air-conditioned buses.  On the other hand, the Environmental Protection Department published the "Practice Note for Managing Air Quality in Air-conditioned Public Transport Facilities" in November 2003.  The Practice Note sets the air quality objectives for such facilities and provides that the railway corporations should monitor one-hour average concentration of carbon dioxide during normal operations at peak hours at least once a year.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) as the diesel trains generate a large volume of emissions when starting to run, whether it knows if the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation ("KCRC") monitors if the air quality at the above station platforms meets the relevant air quality objectives at the time when the diesel trains start to run; if it does, of the monitoring results; if not, the reasons for that;

(b) as the air quality at the open platforms of the Hung Hom Station may vary with the climate in the four seasons and may also change due to any works or modifications undertaken in the Station, whether it knows if KCRC will increase the frequency of air quality inspections so as to ensure that the air quality at the platforms of the Station is persistently kept to a good standard; and

(c) whether it will consider enacting legislation on air quality management to replace the existing Practice Note which has no legal effect, in order to provide an environment with good air quality for passengers and station staff; if so, of the legislative timetable; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) The Practice Note for Managing Air Quality in Air-conditioned Public Transport Facilities - Railways published by the Environmental Protection Department in November 2003 is intended for air-conditioned railway facilities and train compartments.  Platforms 5 and 6 of Hung Hom Station are open platforms and should not cause any air quality problems under normal circumstances.  To address the impact of emissions from diesel-powered through trains on the two platforms and to minimise any adverse effect on the passengers, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) has taken a series of measures, including the installation of additional exhaust fans and hoods for speedy smoke extraction above the position where diesel locomotives are started.  To evaluate the effectiveness of the measures, the KCRC has commissioned a consultant to conduct air quality tests when the through trains start.  The air pollutants measured included nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, and Hong Kong's one-hour air quality objectives were adopted as the standards for the tests in order to safeguard passengers' health.  To protect the health of the employees, the Occupational Exposure Limit - Time Weighted Average (OEL-TWA) and the Occupational Exposure Limit - Short-Term Exposure Limit (OEL-STEL) were adopted as the standards for the tests.  The results of the tests as conducted in September 2004 show that these exhaust facilities are effective in ensuring that the above objectives are met at Platforms 5 and 6 when the through trains start.

(b) To ensure that good air quality at the platforms of Hung Hom Station is maintained over time, the KCRC will continue to closely monitor the air quality at the station by taking measurements every six months or, if necessary, more frequently at the concourse and platforms of the station during morning peak hours, including the periods when the diesel locomotives are started.

When planning for works or modifications, the KCRC will ascertain whether the projects will adversely affect the air quality at Platforms 5 and 6.  If so, it will adopt additional control measures as appropriate to maintain good air quality at the platforms.

The KCRC has been discussing with the Mainland authorities for the early replacement of diesel locomotives with electric ones as the long-term solution to the impact of emissions from diesel-powered through trains.  The KCRC understands that the Mainland railway authorities plan to replace diesel locomotives gradually with electric ones in two to three years so as to eliminate the emission problem.

(c) As mentioned above, Platforms 5 and 6 of Hung Hom Station are affected by train emissions because some through trains are still hauled by diesel locomotives.  The KCRC has taken a package of improvement measures and has been discussing with the Mainland authorities for the early replacement of diesel locomotives with electric ones.  With the complete replacement of diesel locomotives by electric trains, the air quality problem at the platforms will be fully resolved. As such, there is no need to introduce any statutory regulation in the meantime.  

Ends/Wednesday, February 23, 2005

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