LCQ18: Proposed East Kowloon Line
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Question:
Regarding the proposed East Kowloon Line (EKL), will the Government inform this Council:
(1) as it has been reported that the latest proposed alignment for EKL will not be extended to Po Lam Station of the MTR Tseung Kwan O Line, but will only run through areas from Choi Hung to Sau Mau Ping, whether the authorities will consider connecting the EKL terminus to Lam Tin Station or Yau Tong Station of the MTR Kwun Tong Line so as to form a loop linkage system in East Kowloon; if so, whether they have estimated the number of people who will benefit from such an alignment;
(2) as the Government has indicated in a paper submitted to the Panel on Transport of this Council in October this year that it is exploring the option of developing EKL with the construction of an elevated trackless rapid transit system as an alternative to underground heavy rail, and the technical feasibility study concerned is expected to be completed in the first half of next year, of the government department(s), organisation(s) and consultant(s) responsible for conducting the feasibility study; and
(3) as the elevated trackless rapid transit system to be used in EKL is different from the heavy rail system operated by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), whether the Government will entrust the design, construction and operation of EKL to MTRCL, or award the projects concerned through open tender?
Reply:
President,
Given the hilly topography along the proposed East Kowloon Line (EKL) under the Railway Development Strategy 2014 and the limited climbing capability of the heavy rail system, some railway sections under the original scheme will need to run deep underground. Having holistically reviewed the project in terms of railway alignment, gradient, location of stations, construction constraints, etc, we expect the project will encounter significant technical difficulties, including constructing deep underground stations, railway tunnels and very long adits for connection to the ground level on hilly terrain in the uphill areas, etc. In addition, due to deep underground stations, the public will take longer time to travel between the ground level and the station platforms, thus increasing the journey time of the public. Hence, the implementation of underground heavy rail system will not be an effective option for EKL.
The reply to the question raised by the Hon Tang Ka-piu is as follows:
(1) The Government is very concerned about the transportation demands in Kowloon East, especially the commuting need of the residents living in the uphill areas of Kwun Tong. After a detailed study, we are now exploring an elevated trackless rapid transit system from Po Tat via Sau Mau Ping, Shun On, Shun Lee and Choi Wan connecting with MTR Choi Hung Station as an alternative. The proposed elevated trackless rapid transit system will serve the densely populated areas in the aforesaid areas and the nearby housing developments near Anderson Road and at Anderson Road Quarry Site. The trackless rapid transit system being explored will operate on a dedicated elevated corridor which will be completely separated from the pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The rapid transit system will not be affected by busy traffic at Clear Water Bay Road, New Clear Water Bay Road and Choi Hung Interchange, providing fast, environmentally friendly and low carbon transportation services.
The alignment and station locations of the elevated trackless rapid transit system depend on a number of factors such as gradient, space for accommodating the elevated structures, construction methods, etc. Owing to the hilly topography with large-level difference from Po Tat to Lam Tin and Yau Tong areas, extending the rapid transit system from Po Tat Estate at the higher level to Lam Tin and Yau Tong areas at the lower level is difficult. At the same time, if the rapid transit system is extended to Lam Tin and Yau Tong areas, it will need to pass by major roads such as Tseung Kwan O Road, the viaducts of Kwun Tong Bypass and Lei Yue Mun Road. The space for the construction of the elevated corridor and stations is very limited, and the technical feasibility is relatively low. We are conducting a technical feasibility study on the elevated trackless rapid transit system. We will continue listening to the public views and continue exploring feasible schemes, taking into account the views received.
(2) The Consultant of the Strategic Study on Railways beyond 2030 (AECOM Asia Company Limited) is now conducting a technical feasibility study for the elevated trackless rapid transit system in Kowloon East.
(3) The elevated trackless rapid transit system in Kowloon East being explored will be a new public transport system independent from the existing railway network. We are now studying the requirements of constructing and operating the elevated trackless rapid transit system in uphill areas with significant level differences as well as evaluating different rapid transit systems available in the market, including the latest technologies in the Mainland and overseas. Upon completion of the technical feasibility study in the first half of 2023, we will promulgate the way forward of the project, including the preliminary timetable and implementation details, such as procurement arrangement.
Ends/Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Issued at HKT 11:50
Issued at HKT 11:50
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