HONGKONG.
No. 1908
4
PROGRESS REPORT ON CONSTRUCTION OF BRITISH SECTION OF THE HONGKONG-CANTON RAILWAY TO 31ST DECEMBER, 1907.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of
His Excellency the Governor,
Description of Alignment.
The present alignment is slightly different from that set out by Mr. BRUCE. In Kow- loon Station Yard, the line has been kept further West nearer Des Voeux Road. At Chain 3-800 Des Vœux and Gascoigne Roads are carried over the line by a very large Bridge.
After passing this Bridge, the grade rises at 1 in 150 to Chain 8.600, near which the line passes over a proposed 100' road by a 60' Girder Bridge, with 2 side spans of 10 feet Arches for the Pathways.
At Chain 9-700 another 100' road (Argyle Street) is crossed by a 60′ Girder Bridge. As close as possible to this Road, I propose to put a Station for Yaumati.
Passing through a short tunnel, the line crosses another 100' road by a 60' Span Girder. This is the third Bridge which the Public Works Department have asked the Rail- way to build, for which there is at present no road except such as is marked on a Map as
Proposed".
LC
After crossing this road, the grade rises at 1 in 100 towards the hills and at Chain 17.500 enters Beacon Hill Tunnel. There is a short length of level in the centre of the tunnel, Chain 20-700 to 21-300, and the line falls at 1 in 400 to the North Portal at Chain 24-700 where the grade changes to 1 in 100. Near this point, the line crosses the valley ou a bridge consisting of three 40' Girders, and runs down the North side to Tai Wai Village where there is a bridge of four 30' Arches over the Shing Mun River.
From this river, the alignment has been completely altered. Instead of continuing on and keeping to the sea side of the road, the line curves to the East and crosses the Taipo Road by a level crossing at Chain 33:600. Shatin Station is placed at Chain 35 000 and at a reduced level of 21400 which ought to keep the formation dry during typhoons at this point.
Beyond Shatin Station, the coastline gets very rugged and indented with deep bays. It was found impossible to get a line at a low level here without having either very deep cuttings through the spurs or else running the line too far into the sea. For this reason, the grade rises at 1 in 500 and 1 in 1,000 till a height of 23000 is reached.
Between Chain 43-200 and 44:200, the Taipo Road is diverted to the sea side of the line, as the Railway is too high above the road for level crossings. At Chain 45-300 the road passes under the Railway. Shortly after this, the road rises rapidly and between Chains 45·850 & 46·200 and 46′950 & 47·200 is diverted and kept on the West side of the line by being scarped out of the cutting above the Railway.
Between Chains 48 100 and 48:450 is a short tunnel, the road going round the spur is carried over the tunnel Portals at both sides,