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LCQ4: MTR passenger flow management measures
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     Following is a question by the Hon Wu Chi-wai and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, in the Legislative Council today (May 11):

Question:

     With the redevelopment and transformation of the Kwun Tong District in recent years, the five MTR stations in the district (i.e. Kowloon Bay, Ngau Tau Kok, Kwun Tong, Lam Tin and Yau Tong stations) have become very crowded during peak hours, particularly at the train platforms of such stations and the pedestrian links to them. Last month, in reply to a question raised by me in examining this year's Estimates of Expenditure, the Government advised that it had conducted studies which included improvement of the pedestrian facilities near such MTR stations. Moreover, in reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on the 20th of last month, the Government indicated that in respect of the Kwun Tong Town Centre redevelopment project, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) was exploring options for improving the public transport facilities in the area (including the passageway with the MTR Kwun Tong Station), in conjunction with the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) and the relevant government departments, and at that time MTRCL had no plan to redevelop the Kwun Tong Station. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows the respective design maximum passenger throughputs of (i) the entrances and (ii) the train platforms, of each of the five aforesaid MTR stations; the respective daily average actual passenger flows (iii) at the entrances and (iv) on the train platforms of each of those stations, during the busiest hour in the morning and that in the afternoon in each of the past five years (set out in a table); if such figures are unavailable, why the Government could provide relevant passenger flow figures on May 9, 2012 in reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council, and how the Government currently monitors the passenger flows in MTR stations, which enables it to request MTRCL to take improvement measures when necessary;

(2) whether it knows the number of occasions in the past five years on which MTRCL implemented crowd control measures under circumstances other than unexpected events, at the five aforesaid MTR stations for passengers heading towards the train platforms, with a breakdown and the relevant details by date, station name and reason for implementing such measures;

(3) whether it knows the new measures taken by MTRCL in the past five years to alleviate the crowdedness at the five aforesaid MTR stations, together with (i) the relevant station names and exit numbers, (ii) the commencement date, (iii) the details and (iv) the effectiveness of each of such measures;

(4) whether it knows if the aforesaid exploration by URA with MTRCL includes studies on alleviating the crowdedness at Kwun Tong Station; if so, of the details and progress;

(5) whether the relevant government departments, MTRCL and URA have assessed the projected utilisation of MTR Kwun Tong Station and the other four stations in the next decade; if they have, of the respective details, as well as the measures to be taken by the Government and MTRCL to cope with the passenger growth arising from the redevelopment and transformation of the Kwun Tong District; and

(6) given that the Government has indicated that the Energizing Kowloon East Office is working with the Highways Department (HyD) to carry out a consultancy study for constructing a new footbridge near MTR Kowloon Bay Station Exit B, and that HyD has commenced a technical feasibility study on the improvement proposals for Shun Yip Street, Lai Yip Street and How Ming Street, of the details and the estimated completion date for these two studies as well as the respective estimated commencement and completion dates for the works concerned?

Reply:

President,

     An average of over five million passenger trips are made in the MTR network every day. The MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) is committed to providing safe, reliable and smooth railway services. The MTRCL will continue its efforts to maintain smooth train operations even at the busiest sections and during the peak periods and keep passenger flow management in an orderly manner, through implementation of various measures. In this regard, the design and arrangement of various "hardware" components of the railway system, including train design, service frequency, platforms, ticket gates and entrances of railway stations, will surely set some parameters for the passenger flow and management.  However, as mentioned in the reply to the written question raised by¡@the Hon Tang Ka-piu, for the Legislative Council (LegCo)  meeting on April 20, whether the passenger flow management of a railway system is in order would depend more on the compatibility of the "software" part ¡V i.e. passenger flow management measures.  Since the commissioning of the MTR in 1979, even though the MTR network and patronage have been expanding and increasing in tandem with local population growth (the existing railway stations were rarely expanded in this process), as the passenger flow has been well managed overall, a good order has therefore been maintained throughout.

     My reply to the various parts of the Hon Wu Chi-wai's question is as follows.

(1) to (3) All train compartments of the existing MTR railway lines are designed based on the industry standard design adopted at the time of the construction of railway lines, and the maximum carrying capacity of train compartments is calculated based on an accommodation of up to six persons (standing) per square metre (ppsm) on average. However, it has been observed that over the years, passenger riding habits have changed. Nowadays, passengers are less willing to board a train that looks crowded even when there is still room available. They choose to wait for the next train. This in effect reduces the carrying capacity of the trains and the railway line as a whole. In actual operation, trains running during the busiest hours on the busiest corridors achieve a passenger density of only around four ppsm. Take the Kwun Tong Line as an example, based on a four ppsm passenger density and current train frequency, the loading during morning peak hours for the critical link of that railway line is 92 per cent in 2015. When calculating on the basis of a design passenger density of six ppsm, the corresponding loading of the Kwun Tong Line is 66 per cent. The number of compartments a train comprises and train frequencies are determined by the MTRCL at the design stage to meet projected passenger demand. It should be stressed that when setting the maximum density benchmark of six ppsm for train compartments, apart from ensuring the compatibility of the size and number of train compartments a train comprises and the train frequency, the other components of the heavy rail network, including the design of railway station structures (e.g. the concourses and the number of exits), platform size, passageways, and escalators etc. are also designed and constructed accordingly to ensure that the railway service can cater for the passenger flow.

     According to the MTRCL, overall speaking, various parts of stations in the present heavy rail network are able to maintain safe, reliable and smooth train operations while meeting the standard of six ppsm in terms of carrying capacity. Among the various parts, the loading of a platform is the most critical. When a platform is likely to become overcrowded, the station staff of the MTRCL will launch corresponding passenger flow management measures according to the actual situation. These measures include temporary closure of some escalators and ticket gates. If the platform remains overcrowded, the Corporation will adjust the entry and exit directions for the entrances of certain stations, according to actual situation, to limit the number of passengers heading from the concourse to the platform and rationalise passenger flow. The MTRCL may also close down some entrances where the situation warrants. According to the MTRCL, in actual operation, station staff are required to implement corresponding passenger flow management measures swiftly in response to the station situations, and smooth passenger flow will often resume after brief implementation of those measures. As this is part of the routine management of station operations, the Corporation has not kept any statistics on the implementation of individual passenger flow management measures. The MTRCL's nearly 40 years of experience in railway operation shows that, as long as the passenger flow management measures are suitably deployed, safe and smooth railway facilities and service can be maintained even when it is crowded.

     Furthermore, the MTRCL has been striving to ease station passenger flow by reducing passenger waiting time at stations through strengthening train service to enhance the carrying capacity of the railway network and station management measures. Details are set out in the LegCo Paper No. CB(4)854/15-16(07) issued on April 12, 2016.

     In so far as individual stations are concerned, there are variations in train frequencies at different stations at different hours of the day, and in the amount, direction and density of passenger flow entering or exiting the stations or parts of the stations. In addition, the abovementioned passenger flow management measures have also been playing a critical role in ensuring smooth train operations. Therefore, even at one time where the overall number of passengers at a station or those using particular facilities in the railway station is higher than the actual number of passengers on train at the same time, it does not necessarily mean that the actual passenger flow has exceeded the limit.  

     Moreover, with incessant passenger flow, coupled with the integration of quite a number of MTR stations with various facilities in the neighbourhood, the passenger flow in the stations may not be all heading for the trains or facilities and shops in the stations. Furthermore, the MTR covers an extensive network of some 10 heavy railway lines and 87 stations, including 19 interchange stations, and a station may be accessed by many entrances, the number of which may well be over 10. Therefore, using the passenger throughput statistics at entrances and on train platforms, as mentioned in the question, may not be the most appropriate way to understand the passenger flow and loading of stations. It is worth noting that the years of design and construction of railway stations vary, and further alteration works have been done after the commissioning of some stations (such as addition of entrances). According to the MTRCL, more time is needed for search and collation of information in this regard. The numbers of passengers entering and exiting stations set out in the Annex to the reply by the former Secretary for Transport and Housing to the written question raised by the Hon James To for the LegCo meeting on May 9, 2012 are only ticket gate records. Such tallies are different from the actual passenger throughput at station entrances and on train platforms mentioned in the present question raised by the Hon Wu. As regards the figures requested in (1) of the present question, a separate written reply will be furnished to the LegCo after the collation of information on the part of the MTRCL has been completed.

     In addition to the passenger flow management measures above, the MTRCL also implemented enhancement works at Exit A of Kwun Tong Station, including re-arrangement and addition of ticket gates, as well as widening of passages. Such works were completed in January 2014.  According to the MTRCL, passenger flow at the station has generally been smooth upon implementation of the above enhancement measures. Enhancement works at Exit C of Kowloon Bay Station have already commenced and are expected to be completed by end-2016. The completion of the works will facilitate passengers' usage of the escalators in the middle of the station, easing the passenger flow at Exit C during peak hours.

     The MTRCL will continue to closely monitor passenger flow at various stations in daily operation, and explore implementing corresponding passenger flow management measures or carrying out relevant station enhancement works to alleviate congestion at the busiest parts of individual stations.

(4) As far as the Development Bureau (DEVB) understands, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) is currently exploring options for improving local public transport facilities (including a passageway with MTR Kwun Tong Station), in conjunction with the MTRCL and other departments, for the purpose of the Kwun Tong Town Centre redevelopment project, with a view to enhancing the integration of the redevelopment project with these facilities and facilitating the travelling of citizens. Concrete proposals have yet to be formulated.

(5) As the railway operator, the MTRCL has advised that it has all along been closely monitoring the utilisation and passenger flow of various railway lines and stations, with a view to adopting timely and effective measures to increase the carrying capacity of train services and to manage passenger flow at stations.  Since the long-term utilisation of individual MTR stations will be affected by an array of factors, including developments in the vicinity of the stations, riding habits of the public and the provision of other public transport services, it is difficult to provide a reliable and accurate assessment of the projected utilisation of specific stations in the next decade.

     According to the DEVB, the Kwun Tong Town Centre redevelopment project is a major residential and commercial development in the district. An assessment by the URA indicates that the redevelopment will further increase the utilisation of MTR Kwun Tong Station. In view of the series of new developments and redevelopment projects in Kwun Tong District, the MTRCL believes that there would be an increase in utilisation of MTR stations in the district and Kwun Tong Line. The Corporation will adopt various measures accordingly. Apart from the passenger flow management measures mentioned above, one of the ongoing major initiatives is to upgrade the signalling systems of seven railway lines, including the Kwun Tong Line, to further increase train frequency. The upgrading works for the signalling system of the Kwun Tong Line is scheduled for completion in 2020. Upon the completion of all signalling system upgrading works in 2026, the overall carrying capacity of the railway lines concerned is expected to increase by around 10 per cent. An increase in train capacity will further smoothen passenger flow at the stations.

     The Government and MTRCL will continue to keep in view the impact of new developments and redevelopment projects in Kwun Tong District on the demand for railway services. Where necessary, appropriate measures will be taken to meet transport needs that may arise in the district.

     The East Kowloon Line, as recommended in the Railway Development Strategy 2014 promulgated by the Transport and Housing Bureau in September 2014, runs along the north Kwun Tong area, connecting Diamond Hill Station of the Kwun Tong Line (and the future Shatin to Central Link) and Po Lam Station of the Tseung Kwan O Line, to serve the densely populated areas in Choi Wan, Shun Tin, Sau Mau Ping and Po Tat, including the existing and committed major development projects in the area.  That said, the implementation of the East Kowloon Line will hinge on the findings of detailed engineering, environmental and financial studies, as well as the latest assessment on passengers' needs and the availability of resources.  Prior to the finalisation of any concrete railway schemes, the Government will further consult the public on such details as the alignment, locations of stations, mode of implementation, cost estimate, mode of financing and actual implementation window.

(6) The DEVB advises that its Energizing Kowloon East Office (EKEO) recommended to construct a new footbridge near Exit B of MTR Kowloon Bay Station to relieve the crowded condition at the existing footbridge during peak hours. The EKEO appointed the Highways Department to carry out a preliminary technical feasibility study on the new footbridge scheme in early 2015. The Highways Department confirmed the preliminary technical feasibility of such new footbridge in July of the same year. The Highways Department is now engaging a consultant to carry out investigation and design for this project, which are expected to commence in the third quarter of this year. At an appropriate juncture, the project will be put to the District Council and relevant stakeholders for consultation and gazetted under the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance (Chapter 370). Comments of objectors, if any, will be handled in accordance with the procedures set out in the Ordinance. Subsequently, the DEVB will solicit funding approval from the LegCo, so as to implement the construction works.

     The EKEO also proposed to improve Shun Yip Street, Lai Yip Street and How Ming Street in order to enhance pedestrian connectivity and walkability to the waterfront, and appointed the Highways Department earlier this year to carry out a technical feasibility study. The proposals include studies on extension of the pedestrian subway network connecting to MTR Ngau Tau Kok Station, improvement to the nearby public transport interchange, face-lifting Shun Yip Street subway across Kwun Tong Road, face-lifting How Ming Lane and the nearby subway across Kwun Tong Road, beautification of Kwun Tong Road Sitting-out Area and Kwun Tong Road Rest Garden, improvement of traffic-signal-controlled junction at Lai Yip Street and Wai Yip Street, and providing more roadside greening space. The improvement works aim at providing comfortable walking environment for pedestrians towards the Kwun Tong Business Area and the waterfront. The Highways Department expects that the Study can be completed in the second half of this year and the technical feasibility, including the scope of works and construction programme, will be further confirmed by then.
 
     Furthermore, the EKEO proposed a number of short term improvement schemes to meet pedestrian and traffic needs. There are 28 schemes along Shun Yip Street, Lai Yip Street and How Ming Street, of which 20 have been completed by the Highways Department. The completed works include widening of footpath along How Ming Street, widening of pedestrian crossing at junction of Lai Yip Street and Hung To Road, provision of traffic signals at junction of How Ming Street and Hung To Road, relocation of pedestrian crossing at junction of How Ming Street and Chong Yip Street, provision of pedestrian signals at junction of How Ming Street and Tsun Yip Road, and enhancement of the environment of back alleys.

Ends/Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Issued at HKT 15:30

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