THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1982
FIRST STAGE OF ELECTRIFIED RAILWAY STARTS
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THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY SPED INTO A NEW ERA TODAY WITH THE OPENING OF ITS STAGE ELECTRIFIED INNER SUBURBAN SERVICE BETWEEN KOWLOON AND SHA TIN.
THE DEPUTY TO THE GOVERNOR, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE UNVEILED PLAQUES AT KOWLOON STATION IN HÙNG HOM AND AT THE NEW SHA TIN STATION TO COMMEMORATE THE OCCASION.
SIR PHILIP SAID HE HAD FOLLOWED THE PROGRESS OF THIS VERY LARGE PROJECT WITH +KEEN INTEREST+ AND PAID TRIBUTE TO THE RAILWAY STAFF.
+TO BUILD A COMPLETELY NEW RAILWAY ON THE EXISTING ALIGNMENT WHILE MAINTAINING EXISTING SERVICES IS A CONSIDERABLE ACHIEVEMENT,+ HE SAID.
*THE STAFF OF THE RAILWAY HAVE DONE EXTREMELY WELL UNDER SUCH DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES AND I AM SURE THEY WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH MANIFEST ENTHUSIASM AND SKILL AS THE RAILWAY UNDERGOES THE TRANSFORMATION FROM A GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT TO A STATUTORY CORPORATION AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.+
SIR PHILIP SAID THAT THE SAFE AND SPEEDY TRANSPORT OF LARGE NUMBERS OF PASSENGERS IS THE MAIN AIM OF THE MODERNISATION PROGRAMME, AND ON COMPLETION, THE NEW RAILWAY WILL BE CAPABLE OF CARRYING A MAXIMUM OF 500 000 PASSENGERS A DAY - 10 TIMES THE CAPACITY OF THE EXISTING RAILWAY.
HE SAID THAT, HISTORICALLY, THE KCR WAS CONCEIVED TO PROMOTE TRADE WITH CHINA AND TO LINK HONG KONG INTO CHINA'S RAILWAY SYSTEM.
+IT HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG'S TRADE WITH CHINA AND CHINA'S TRADE WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD, HE ADDED.
+IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THE INTERNATIONAL ROLE OF THE RAILWAY SHOULD CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND TO PROVIDE PASSENGER AND FREIGHT FACILITIES IN KEEPING WITH THE EXPANSION OF HONG KONG'S VITAL ECONOMIC LINKS WITH CHINA.
+IN THIS CONNECTION, I SHOULD RECORD HERE HOW MUCH THE GOVERNMENT VALUES THE EXCELLENT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WHICH HAS BEEN BUILT UP BETWEEN THE RAILWAY AUTHORITIES OF CHINA AND HONG KONG. LONG MAY THIS CONTINUE,+ SIR PHILIP SAID.
THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR A.J. SCOTT, ALSO PAID WARM TRIBUTE TO ALL INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION, AND THE OPERATION OF THIS EXCITING PROJECT.
/PERHAPS ONLY