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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, at a media session after attending radio programmes this morning (September 20):
Reporter: How do the new lines fill the gaps that you mentioned and how can they... particular sections of the network?
Secretary for Transport and Housing: When we consider how to further expand the existing railway network, the existing meaning including the five new projects that are under construction. We have several objectives. First of course we need to respond to the increasing traffic demand in various areas. Secondly we would like to facilitate some major development, particularly housing development, industrial or commercial development. And thirdly, we would like to enhance the convenience of travelling on the railway lines. Therefore, we have to provide more services, provide more lines in order to enlarge the areas to be covered by the network to increase accessibility. At the moment if we look at the railway map, there are certain gaps meaning that the network itself is not totally well connected as a network. So there are certain gaps that we would like to fill, for example the northern part of the New Territories, for example on Hong Kong Island. By implementing these seven proposed schemes as announced in Railway Development Strategy 2014, the network itself will be more comprehensive and better connected as a network, so that if anything happens in some parts of network, there are alternative routes. You may say very generally that north, south, east, west of the network will be fully connected. That is one of the strategic considerations behind the current plan.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Saturday, September 20, 2014
Issued at HKT 13:57
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