NATHAN ROAD
LIPUN TONG
PSTORM
Mongkok Station
longitudinal section
joined into a single project. The Working Party on Slum Clearance has already suggested an urban re- newal scheme for this area,
Says the report: "By combining the land acquisition funds necessary for rapid transit with those required for urban renewal, it should be possible to redevelop this area into one of the most attractive in the colony.
"To construct the rapid transit line it will be necessary to demolish the buildings on about 440 properties be- tween Western Street and Jubilee Street. Nearly all of these buildings would be removed under the urban renewal scheme, but the construction of the rapid-transit line requires their demolition all at one time, thereby providing the opportunity to consolid- ate plots of land and alter the street pattern."
On construction methods, the re- port says: "Most of an urban railway network must be constructed under- ground, either by bored tunnelling or by cut-and-cover methods. The use of bored-tunnel methods causes much less disruption to surface traffic and underground utilities.
"However, if construction is below the water table, as is quite often the case in Hong Kong, the cut-and-cover method will be cheaper unless the depth of construction is unusually great."
11
Stations would be spaced half a mile apart in the more intensively de- veloped areas. While the maximum station spacing would be 21⁄4 miles, the average spacing would be less than three-quarters of a mile. This spacing, the report suggests, could allow average speed of over 20 miles an hour, including stops at stations nearly double the present speed of public transport services.
an
According to the traffic forecasts, some sections of the underground sys- tem would have to carry as many as 45,000 passengers an hour in one dir- ection i.e. on one track, in the busiest hour of the day a figure exceeded only on certain lines in New York and Tokyo.
After considering all the various alternatives and the high capacity re- quired, the consultants conclude that the best service consistent with low cost and dependability could be pro- vided with electrically-powered, steel- wheel cars operating on steel rails.
They propose 600 ft. long trains of large, powerful, high-capacity cars with stations, platforms, car doors and seating arrangements arranged for quick loading and unloading under heavy traffic conditions.
The travel forecasts indicate that
Far East Architect & Builder March, 1968
the central station on Hong Kong Is- land would attract up to 450,000 pas- sengers each day. Automatic train control and probably automatic fare collection would ensure maximum efficiency with minimum manpower.
The proposed underground system, the consultants consider, would great- ly reduce the need for surface public transport in the main congested street running parallel to the system. Yet the total volume of bus travel would continue to grow throughout the next 20 years even though the underground system is expected to carry over 30 per cent of the total public transport load by 1986.
Six Stages
con-
The consultants recommend struction of the underground railway system in six stages. Although work on two, and sometimes three, stages would be going on simultaneously at any given time, most of the Kwun Tong line would be built in Stage 1, most of the Tsuen Wan line in Stage 2, most of the Island line in Stage 3 and all of the Sha Tin line in Stages 5 and 6.
Of the estimated total cost of HK$3,404 million required for build- ing and equipping the system. 58 per cent would go towards line and sta- tion construction, 36 per cent for equipment and furnishings and six per cent for land.
The estimated total annual operat- ing expenses, including depreciation, would range from HK$21.9 million
DESCRIPTION
in 1974 to HK$104.8 million in 1986 assuming that present price levels are maintained throughout.
Estimates of annual gross revenue from the underground rail system, based on the consultants' recommend- ed fare schedule, range from HK$36 million during the first year of opera- tion to HK$342 million when the en- tire system is in use.
The report states that some contri- bution from public funds in the early years is likely to be necessary and goes on to suggest that this can be justified not only in the light of prac- tices accepted in other cities, but also in relation to the many benefits it would bring to the people of Hong Kong, and to the higher cost of all alternatives.
The benefits, the consultants say, would not be limited to those who use the system but would be spread among all who travel or use the streets for moving goods. The consultants have designed the routes, stations, trains and fare structure to attract the maximum number of people away from the streets and thus to leave them as uncongested as possible for the free movement of the Colony's
commerce.
The report states that while all travellers would receive some benefits, public transport passengers and more particularly those using the under- ground system would receive the most benefit. The report estimates that over 270,000 hours of travel time would be saved each day in the design year by users of public transport.
Civil Engineering Construction Cost by Stages
Construction between
stations including ventilation and drainage structures Construction of
stations including passageways and finishes
Demolition and underpinning
2
ESTIMATED COST Stage
3
Total
5
(Millions)
$331.35 $191.90 $208.10 $100.60 $137.90
$47.00 $1,016.85
109.35
76.65
76.85 44.15 58.45
12.30
377.75
10.20
1.80
6.15
9.30
0.45
27.90
Maintenance depots
including access, site preparation, and buildings
Contingencies
29.80
95.80
12.85 9.80 20.95 56.80 60.00 35.00 39.50
6.00
13.70
79.40
300.80
Investigations and
engineering
23.70
8.00
$87.00 $1,983.00
180.30
TOTAL
34.00 36.10 21.00 57.50 $634.00 $374.00 $397.00 $231.00 $260.00
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