234 Transport
Tunnels
The Government owns ten road tunnels. They are the Cross-Harbour, Lion Rock, Aberdeen, Kai Tak, Shing Mun, Tseung Kwan O, Cheung Tsing, Tai Wai, Sha Tin Height and Eagles' Nest tunnels.
The last three tunnels are located in the Tsing Sha Control Area. They are managed and operated by private companies under management contracts. Use of the Kai Tak Tunnel and Cheung Tsing Tunnel is free of charge. Tolls for the rest are set by the Government.
Four other tunnels are operated by private companies under 'Build, Operate and Transfer' agreements. They are the Eastern Harbour Crossing, Tate's Cairn Tunnel, Western Harbour Crossing and Tai Lam Tunnel.
There is also a private tunnel, the Discovery Bay Tunnel Link, built by Discovery Bay Road Tunnel Company Limited. This is operated and maintained by the company and is open only to vehicles taking goods to Discovery Bay, or providing services to residents there.
Rail Network
Railways form a vital part of Hong Kong's transport network and are essential to its continuous economic, social and land development. They account for about 35 per cent of daily public transport passenger travel and about 68 per cent of land-based cross-boundary passenger trips to the Mainland. They are being extended to various parts of Hong Kong. The map below shows the existing railway network, two railway projects under construction and the indicative alignments of the ten railway projects in planning stage or under review.
Railway Projects under Construction
The 3.8-kilometre Kowloon Southern Link will connect the East Rail and West Rail Lines at the southern tip of the Kowloon Peninsula. Upon completion in the second half of 2009, passengers will be able to interchange between the two lines at Hung Hom Station.
LOHAS Park Station, an extension of the Tseung Kwan O Line, is expected to be completed in mid-2009.
Railway Projects in the Planning Stage
The West Island Line will be an extension of the existing Island Line from Sheung Wan to Kennedy Town, with two intermediate stations at Sai Ying Pun and University. The railway scheme was first gazetted in October 2007, with amendments gazetted in September. Work on the project is expected to start in mid-2009.
The Shatin to Central Link will extend Ma On Shan Rail Line to Hung Hom via Diamond Hill and the southeast Kowloon and the East Rail Line across the harbour to Hong Kong Island. The Government has entrusted the design works to the MTRCL to enable construction to commence in 2010.