ON
THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 1992
"VARIOUS IDEAS FOR EITHER A PARTIAL OR A TOTAL DEFERRAL OF THE AIRPORT RAILWAY HAVE BEEN MOOTED, AND NONE OF THEM MEET HONG KONG'S TRANSPORT NEEDS AS WELL, OR ARE AS COST-EFFECTIVE.
"IF THE AIRPORT RAILWAY TERMINATED AT WEST KOWLOON RATHER THAN ON HONG KONG ISLAND, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS WOULD REDUCE THE REVENUE EXPECTED FROM THE AIRPORT EXPRESS LINE BY 40 PER CENT, AND PROVIDE NO RELIEF FOR THE NATHAN ROAD CORRIDOR.
"NOR COULD WE TERMINATE THE RAILWAY AT TSING YI INSTEAD OF GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT.
GENERATED
"MOST OF THE REVENUE OF THE AIRPORT RAILWAY WILL BE BY THE AIRPORT EXPRESS LINE, AND THIS WOULD BE LOST IF THE LINE STOPPED AT TSING YI.
WOULD ALSO NEED TO MOVE THE SITE FOR THE AIRPORT RAILWAY DEPOT FROM SIU HO WAN ON NORTH LANTAU. WE WOULD HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO PUT IT ON A PRIME DEVELOPMENT SITE ON THE WEST KOWLOON RECLAMATION."
COMMENTING ON THE IDEA OF DEFERRING THE AIRPORT RAILWAY. ALTOGETHER FOR A FEW YEARS, MR LEUNG SAID THIS WOULD ALSO BE MOST UNDESIRABLE.
"WE WOULD NEED A LARGE FLEET OF TAXIS, AIRBUSES AND DOUBLE- DECKER BUSES TO MAKE UP FOR THE LACK OF A RAILWAY.
"THEY WOULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE TO PROVIDE AND DIFFICULT TO WITHDRAW LATER. THEY WOULD ALSO BE VERY COSTLY IN TERMS OF INCREASED TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND INCREASED AIR POLLUTION.
"THE FACT IS,
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THAT OUR STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THE AIRPORT RAILWAY, FULLY IN PLACE FOR DAY ONE THE OPENING DATE IN 1997 OF THE NEW AIRPORT IS NOT ONLY THE BEST OPTION FROM A TRANSPORT POLICY POINT OF VIEW, BUT ALSO PROVIDES THE BEST POSSIBLE RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
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MR LEUNG ALSO SAID THE AIRPORT RAILWAY WAS A COST-EFFECTIVE TRANSPORT PROJECT, AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSED FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THE MTRC WAS THE MINIMUM NECESSARY TO ENABLE IT TO FINANCE THE PROJECT.
"HONG KONG IS REALLY GETTING 'ONE TRACK, TWO RAILWAYS'.
"BY ALIGNING THE TWO RAIL SERVICES ON LARGELY COMMON TRACKS, WE HAVE MANAGED TO BUILD AN ADDITIONAL CROSS HARBOUR RAIL LINK, WHICH WILL RELIEVE CONGESTION IN THE NATHAN ROAD CORRIDOR, PLUS A FAST RAIL LINK TO THE NEW AIRPORT, FOR ONLY 20 PER CENT MORE THAN IT WOULD HAVE COST TO BUILD EITHER RAILWAY ALONE."
MR LEUNG WENT ON TO OUTLINE THE FOUR-POINT SUPPORT PACKAGE WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAS DEVELOPED TO ENABLE THE MTRC TO FINANCE THE AIRPORT RAILWAY. UNDER THIS PACKAGE, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD:
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