XN000022-1976-12-08 — Page 9

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8,

1976

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PROPOSED MTR EXTENSION TO TSUEN WAN DECISION TO BE MADE NEXT SUMMER ******

THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION HAS RECENTLY STARTED TO EXAMINE IN DETAIL THE PRIORITIES FOR MTR EXTENSIONS IN THE TSUEN WAN, KWUN TONG AND HONG KONG ISLAND CORRIDORS, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON, DEREK JONES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. FRANCIS TIEN, HE SAID THE CORPORATION HAD ALSO BEGUN DETAILED INVESTIGATIONS OF A LINE RUNNING FROM PRINCE EDWARD STATION TO TSUEN WAN WEST.

THE INVESTIGATIONS, HE POINTED OUT, WOULD COVER SUCH MATTERS AS ALIGNMENTS, DESIGN PARAMETERS, COSTINGS, REVENUE FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS.

MR. JONES SAID THESE STUDIES WERE BEING CARRIED OUT BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MTR +ARE AGREED THAT, SHOULD THE MODIFIED INITIAL SYSTEM OF THE MTR BE EXTENDED, THE NEXT EXTENSION IS LIKELY TO BE TOWARDS TSUEN WAN.

+THEY ARE ALSO AGREED THAT, PROVIDED SUCH AN EXTENSION IS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE AND THE ECONOMIC CLIMATE AT THE TIME IS FAVOURABLE, A DECISION TO GO AHEAD SHOULD BE TAKEN, AND CONTRACTS LET, BEFORE THE HEAVY ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT BEING USED ON THE PRESENT WORKS IS REMOVED FROM HONG KONG, + HE ADDED.

IN PARALLEL WITH THE STUDIES BEING CARRIED OUT BY THE CORPORATION, THE ENVIRONMENT SECRETARY SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALSO SET UP A STUDY GROUP TO EXAMINE AND RECOMMEND WHAT ACTION THE GOVERNMENT WOULD NEED TO TAKE TO FACILITATE THE CONSTRUCTION OF PROPOSED EXTENSIONS, SHOULD THEY BE PROCEEDED WITH, AS WELL AS, LATER, TO EVALUATE THE RESULTS OF THE CORPORATION'S INVESTIGATIONS.

+ THE CORPORATION HOPES TO COMPLETE ITS STUDIES IN ANOTHER FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AND A FIRM DECISION, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, CAN BE EXPECTED SOME TIME IN THE SUMMER OF NEXT YEAR, HE ADDED.

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