A staff member conducts checking before the first Vibrant Express train from Shenzhen starts for Hong Kong on Sept 23, 2018. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)
Five new railways connecting Hong Kong and Shenzhen are being proposed to facilitate the connectivity between the two cities and Hong Kong’s integration into the overall development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, chairman of Hong Kong’s Transport Advisory Committee, outlined the proposal on Tuesday.
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The five railway projects, proposed by the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy, were welcomed by the committee members, Cheung said.
The projects will be pursued through the Task Force for Hong Kong-Shenzhen Co-operation on Cross-Boundary Railway Infrastructure
The proposed railways include: the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link, which would link Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen and Qianhai in Shenzhen; the Northern Link (NOL) Spur Line, which would connect to the new Huanggang Port in Shenzhen; an extension of the East Rail Line to Luohu district in Shenzhen, and the possibility of a new railway station between the existing Lo Wu Station and the Sheung Shui Station; an extension of the NOL eastward from the Kwu Tung Station to connect with the areas in Lo Wu and Man Kam To on the Hong Kong side and various development nodes in the New Territories North New Town; and an automated people-mover system from Tsim Bei Tsui to Pak Nai.
These cross-boundary railway projects will be pursued through the Task Force for Hong Kong-Shenzhen Co-operation on Cross-Boundary Railway Infrastructure, jointly established by the governments of Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
A series of practical factors have to be examined before the projects are set in motion, such as projected volume of passenger flow, the feasibility of construction, and the financial cost that would be incurred, Cheung said.
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For those local projects, the task force will factor in land-use planning of the affected areas, the expected population growth, and employment opportunities, “so as to meet the transport needs of the residential and working populations of the area in the most effective manner,” he said.
While there currently is no development timetable, preparatory work will be carried out in an orderly, meticulous and holistic fashion, he said.