THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1988
GOVERNOR BRIEFED ON MTRC, KCRC OPERATIONS
A NEW EXTENSION OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY TO SERVE THE POPULATION OF YAU TONG AND JUNK BAY NEW TOWN COULD ВЕ VIABLE, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, WAS TOLD DURING A VISIT TO THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON.
ACCOMPANIED BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, THE GOVERNOR VISITED THE CORPORATION AND WAS MET BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MTRC BOARD, MR WILFRID NEWTON.
THE GOVERNOR WAS BRIEFED ON THE OPERATION OF THE CORPORATION
AND THE POSSIBLE EXTENSION OF THE RAILWAY TO JUNK BAY.
MR NEWTON TOLD THE GOVERNOR THAT THE CONSTRUCTION COST OF THE EXTENSION IS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT $3,240 MILLION AND THAT DETAILED DISCUSSIONS WITH GOVERNMENT WOULD BEGIN SHORTLY.
THE GOVERNOR WAS ALSO BRIEFED ON THE PROBLEM OF CONGESTION ON THE MTR ALONG THE NATHAN ROAD CORRIDOR. HE WAS TOLD THAT WHEN THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING RAIL LINK OPENS NEXT YEAR, CONGESTION WOULD BE CONSIDERABLY RELIEVED.
THE GOVERNOR ALSO VISITED THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY CORPORATION (KCRC) WHERE HE WAS WELCOMED AND BRIEFED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE KCRC BOARD, MR GERRY FORSGATE, AND THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE CORPORATION, MR PETER QUICK.
MR FORSGATE TOLD SIR DAVID THAT THE TOTAL VOLUME OF GOODS CARRIED BY RAIL HAD INCREASED FROM 1.3 MILLION TONNES TO 2.4 MILLION TONNES DURING THE PERIOD 1980 TO 1986.
FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF THE DOUBLE TRACKING OF THE RAILWAY BETWEEN PEKING AND CANTON SCHEDULED IN LATE 1988, FURTHER GROWTH IN RAIL FREIGHT IS EXPECTED.
AN AREA
TO COPE WITH THE ENVISAGED INCREASES IN RAIL FREIGHT, OF 18 HECTARES ON THE NEW RECLAMATION IN HUNG HOM BAY HAS BEEN EARMARKED FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE KCRC FREIGHT YARD.
SIR DAVID WAS TOLD THAT RECLAMATION OF THE HUNG HOM BAY IS PROGRESSING SATISFACTORILY.
THE FIRST PHASE COVERING AN AREA OF 13.5 HECTARES IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED IN MID-1989. THE REMAINING AREA REQUIRED FOR THE FREIGHT YARD WILL BE AVAILABLE IN LATE 1989 OR EARLY 1990.
THE EXPANSION OF THE FREIGHT YARD, PROVIDE THE CAPACITY FOR FREIGHT SERVICES UP
CENTURY.
WHEN COMPLETED, WILL ΤΟ THE TURN OF THE
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