TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 1980
MAJOR KCR ELECTRIFICATION CONTRACT AWARDED
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THE MODERNISATION AND ELECTRIFICATION SCHEME FOR THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY TOOK ANOTHER STEP FORWARD TODAY (TUESDAY) WITH THE SIGNING OF A CONTRACT FOR THE SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF AN OVERHEAD LINE TO PROVIDE POWER TO FUTURE ELECTRIC TRAINS.
THE $44.8 MILLION CONTRACT WAS FORMALLY SIGNED BY MR WONG MANG-KI, PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT CIVIL ENGINEER OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND REPRESENTATIVES OF BALFOUR BEATTY POWER CONSTRUCTION LIMITED OF BRITAIN.
SPEAKING AFTER THE CEREMONY, MR WONG SAID THE CONTRACT FORMED PART OF THE KCR MODERNISATION AND ELECTRIFICATION SCHEME WHICH WAS ESTIMATED TO COST SOME $2 000 MILLION.
ABOUT $550 MILLION HAS BEEN SET ASIDE FOR THE SCHEME IN THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR.
MEANWHILE, THE NEW TRAINS WHICH HAVE BEEN ORDERED ARE NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND THE FIRST UNITS WILL BE DELIVERED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR,
REFERRING TO THE CONTRACT SIGNED TODAY, MR WONG SAID, +WORK WILL START SHORTLY AND WILL BE COMPLETED BY NOVEMBER 1982.
+THE CONTRACT WILL INCLUDE THE SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF ALL SUPPORTING COLUMNS AND NECESSARY EQUIPMENT TO SUSPEND THE POWER LINE AT A HEIGHT OF OVER FIVE METRES ABOVE THE TRACK.
*THE LINE WILL BE INSTALLED IN A SIMILAR MANNER TO THAT BEING USED FOR THE MTR ON THE OVERHEAD SECTION IN KWUN TONG.
+THE SUSPENDED WIRE WILL PROVIDE HIGH VOLTAGE POWER, AT 25 KV AC, FOR THE ELECTRIC TRACTION TO THE FASTER AND MORE QUIET TRAINS OF THE FUTURE.+
FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC, MR WONG SAID, THE WHOLE LENGTH OF THE RAILWAY, ABOUT 33 KILOMETRÉS, WILL BE SECURELY FENCED, THIS TOGETHER WITH FOOTBRIDGES AND SUBWAYS FOR PEDESTRIANS WILL BE PROVIDED UNDER SEPARATE CONTRACTS.
TO CATER FOR THE INCREASE IN QUANTITY AND COMPLEXITY OF ROLLING STOCK, HE ADDED, A NEW SERVICING DEPOT WOULD BE BUILT SHORTLY AT HO TUNG LAU, SHA TIN.
UPON COMPLETION, THE DEPOT WILL PROVIDE FACILITIES FOR MAINTENANCE AND SERVICING OF THE NEW ELECTRIC ROLLING STOCK.
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