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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1979
HK GROUP TO STUDY EUROPEAN LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEMS *******
A SIX-MAN TEAM, COMPRISING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION AND A CONSULTING ENGINEERING FIRM, LEFT FOR EUROPE TONIGHT (THURSDAY) TO STUDY THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEMS IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD..
DURING THEIR TWO-WEEK TOUR, THE DELEGATES FROM THE ISLAND CORRIDOR STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION STUDIES (ICSIS) TEAM WILL VISIT SWITZERLAND, WEST GERMANY AND HOLLAND.
LED BY DR. NIP KAM-FAN, GOVERNMENT HIGHWAYS ENGINEER OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, THE TEAM COMPRISED MR. TSOH MING FROM PWD'S HIGHWAYS OFFICE MR. J.P. WILSON FROM POLICE TRAFFIC HEAD- QUARTERS- MR. T.V. RUNNACLES FROM THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT- MR. NIGEL WILSON OF THE MTRC AND MR. S. COVENTRY OF THE CONSULTING ENGINEERS, MESSRS, MARTIN AND VOORHEES ASSOCIATES.
SPEAKING BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE, DR. NIP SAID THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (LRT) SYSTEM PROPOSED FOR THE ISLAND CORRIDOR IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER TRANSPORT SYSTEM OPERATING IN HONG KONG TODAY.
+ALTHOUGH THE LRT SYSTEM IS DEVELOPED BY UPGRADING THE EXISTING TRAM SYSTEM, THE VEHICLES TO BE USED HAVE A MUCH HIGHER PERFORMANCE.
+THE SYSTEM MAY CARRY UP TO THREE TIMES THE NUMBER OF TRAM PASSENGERS DURING PEAK HOURS AND THE TRACK WOULD BE SEGREGATED FROM OTHER ROAD USERS FOR A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF ITS LENGTH.+
DR. NIP POINTED OUT THAT MOST LRT SYSTEMS OVERSEAS WERE DEVELOPED IN PLACES THAT HAD ALREADY OPERATED AN EXTENSIVE STREET TRAMWAY SYSTEM.
IN MANY CASES, HE SAID, THE STREET TRAMWAY HAD EVOLVED OVER TIME AND INCORPORATED A VARIETY OF OPERATING FEATURES INCLUDING ROLLING STOCK.
+THE LRT DESIGN WOULD THEREFORE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE TECHNICAL COMPATIBILITY CONSTRAINTS INTERNAL TO THE OPERATING ORGANISATION AS WELL AS EXTERNAL OPERATING CONDITION, HE SAID.
+EXTERNAL OPERATING CONDITIONS IN HONG KONG ARE AS SEVERE AS ANY CITY IN THE WORLD AND INCLUDE A VARIETY OF FEATURES THAT NO OTHER CITY EXPERIENCES IN QUITE THE SAME COMBINATION.
+IN VIEW OF THIS, THE PROPOSED LRT SYSTEM IS BEING PLANNED TO INCORPORATE A NUMBER OF PROVEN TECHNICAL FEATURES USED IN OTHER CITIES BUT NOT NECESSARILY IN THE SAME COMBINATION.
DR. NIP SAID THE TEAM WILL PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO HOW DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEGREGATION HAD WORKED IN PRACTICE OR HOW A SIGNAL PRE-EMPTION SYSTEM HAD BEEN DESIGNED TO FACILITATE A FAST AND RELIABLE SERVICE WITHOUT CAUSING INCONVENIENCE TO OTHER ROAD USERS.
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