THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1981
VISIT OF HRH THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH
***
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH, WILL BE MAKING TWO STOP-OVER VISITS TO HONG KONG ON HIS WAY TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.
THE DUKE WILL ARRIVE IN HONG KONG ON MARCH 24 AND OPEN THE PRINCE PHILIP DENTAL HOSPITAL. HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS WILL ALSO PAY A PRIVATE VISIT TO THE QUEEN'S OWN HIGHLANDERS, OF WHICH HE IS COLONEL-IN-CHIEF, ON THE SAME DAY BEFORE CONTINUING HIS OUTWARD JOURNEY TO AUSTRALIA.
ON THE RETURN JOURNEY, HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS WILL BE ARRIVING LATE IN THE EVENING OF SATURDAY, MARCH 28, AND WILL STAY OVERNIGHT AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
ON SUNDAY, MARCH 29, THE DUKE WILL FULFIL A NUMBER OF PRIVATE ENGAGEMENTS. THESE WILL INCLUDE VISITS TO THE ROYAL NAVY AND THE 7TH DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S OWN GURKHA RIFLES..
CONTROLLER OF RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT ***
TWO IMPORTANT SENIOR APPOINTMENTS WERE ANNOUNCED BY THE GOVERNMENT TODAY. THE FIRST IS OF MR BOBBY HOWES, FORMERLY THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY AND CURRENTLY ACTING AS THE GENERAL MANAGER RAILWAY (SPECIAL DUTIES), TO A NEW POST OF CONTROLLER OF RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT. THE SECOND IS THE PROMOTION OF MR WONG U LAM, ACTING GENERAL MANAGER, TO GENERAL MANAGER OF THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE MODERNISATION AND
ELECTR IF ICATION OF THE KCR WAS ITS MOST IMPORTANT CURRENT TRANSPORT PROJECT AND EVERYTHING POSSIBLE WAS BEING DONE TO ACHIEVE THE TARGET COMPLETION DATES OF THE FIRST STAGE TO SHA TIN IN THE SPRING OF 1982 AND ALL THE WAY TO LO WU BY THE END OF 1982.
TO ASSIST IN DOING THIS, IT HAD BEEN DECIDED TO PROVIDE A SINGLE UNIFIED DIRECTION OVER ALL ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT, BY THE CREATION OF A SPECIALLY-DESIGNED POST OF CONTROLLER OF RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT IN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT INVOLVED NOT ONLY THE KCR BUT SEVERAL BRANCHES OF THE PWD, OTHER GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES, SPECIALLY-APPOINTED CONSULTANTS AND AT PRESENT NO LESS THAN 30 MAIN CONTRACTORS. THEIR TASK WAS THE TOTAL REBUILDING OF A RAILWAY WHICH HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED FOR THE LAST SEVENTY YEARS, AND WHAT IS MORE DOING SO WHILE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE PASSENGER AND FREIGHT SERVICES UN INTERRUPTED AND TO A STEADILY ACCELERATING DEMAND.
+BECAUSE THE MODERNISATION PROJECT HAS NOW REACHED A CRITICAL STAGE, MR HOWES NEW CONTROLLING ROLE IS MORE THAN WELCOME, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE CONTROLLER