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Reporter: ... the line to be opened in phases, especially you've said certain stations will be completed in December 2018 and then some will be completed in 2020. Would it be viable to open part of the line first and then open the rest later?
Secretary for Transport and Housing: At the moment, according to the entrustment agreement with the MTR Corporation, there is already a two-phase arrangement. In other words, the first section up to Hung Hom Station will be opened at the end of 2018 and then the second section all the way to Admiralty to be opened at the end of 2020. But of course given the current archaeological work and depending on which conservation method is to be agreed, then there might be further delay. At present, the accumulative delay due to the archaeological work at To Kwa Wan Station is at least 11 months. If we adopt a conservation option which will involve more time, then there is possibility of further delay of four months. Whether or not there is any scope for reducing the period of delay depends on whether it is feasible to adopt delay recovering measures. But I think it is conservative for us to assume that delay is almost inevitable. But of course we have to discuss in detail with the MTR Corporation and it takes a bit of time before a more reliable estimate could be made.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Thursday, November 20, 2014
Issued at HKT 16:53
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