XN000022-1974-04-16 — Page 2

J

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1974.

DOUBLE TRACKING OF RAILWAY TO START SOON

******

THE GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT FOR THE DOUBLE- TRACKING OF THE RAILWAY BETWEEN HUNG HOM AND SHA TIN, EXCLUDING BEACON HILL TUNNEL, TO COPE WITH THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN PASSENGER TRAFFIC IN THE FUTURE.

MR. MONG U-LAM, ACTING GENERAL MANAGER OF KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY SAID TODAY THE PROPOSED PROJECT HAD BEEN APPROVED AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF $24 MILLION.

DETAILED DESIGNS AND TENDER DOCUMENTS FOR THE PROJECT ARE BEING WORKED OUT, AND CONSTRUCTION WORK IS EXPECTED TO START LATER THIS YEAR. +IT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 1976 WHEN SHA TIN NEW TOWN WILL HAVE A POPULATION OF ABOUT 106,000+, MR. WONG SAID.

MEANWHILE, THE ROLE OF THE K.C.R. IS BEING REVIEWED AS PART OF THE OVERALL COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY UNDER-TAKEN BY THE CONSULTANTS.

+IT IS PROBABLE THAT THE ROLE OF THE K.C.R. WILL BE CONSIDERABLY ENHANCED AND VARIOUS ASPECTS OF POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT ARE STILL BEING STUDIED,+ SAID MR. MONG.

THE FEASIBILITY OF EXTENDING THE PROJECTED DOUBLE-TRACKING TO COVER THE STRETCH BETWEEN SHA TIN AND TAI PO WAS ALSO UNDER ACTIVE CONSIDERATION, HE SAID, AND THE ENGINEERING ASPECTS WERE BEING INVESTIGATED.

+

г

+OTHER NEW PROJECTS INCLUDE THE LAYING OF A SPUR LINE TO THE NEW RACE COURSE, BUILDING A RACE COURSE STATION AT SHA TIN. AND REMODELLING MONGKOK, SHA TIN AND LO WU STATIONS.

+THE FEASIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTING A NEW LINE TO. KWAI CHUNG CONTAINER TERMINAL AREA FROM THE PROPOSED SHA TIN SIDING IS ALSO UNDER PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATION, + MR. VONG SAID.

REFERRING TO THE 40 CARRIAGES ORDERED BY THE K.C.R., MR. WONG SAID THEY SHOULD BE ARRIVING THIS SUMMER. TWENTY EIGHT OF THEN WILL REPLACE THE OLD ROLLING STOCK WHILE THE REMAINING 12 WILL BE USED TO LENGTHEN TRAINS DURING THE WEEK-DAY RUSH PERIODS AND TO FORM ADDITIONAL TRAINS ON HOLIDAYS.

MR. WONG DESCRIBED THIS AS A STEP FORWARD IN THE LONG. TERM MOVE TOWARDS MEETING THE DEMAND OF INCREASING PASSENGER TRAFFIC.

DURING 1973. THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED BY THE K.C.R. REACHED ANOTHER RECORD OF 13.284,576, SHOWING AN INCREASE OF NINE PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. MOVEMENT OF GOODS TRAFFIC ALSO REACHED AN ALL-TIME RECORD OF 1.337,160 METRIC TONS, AN INCREASE OF 15 PER CENT ON 1972.

/THE NUMBER