SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1977
NEW KCR MARSHALLING YARD OPENS TOMORROW
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THE NEWLY-BUILT, $10.7 MILLION MARSHALLING YARD AT LOWU ONE OF HONG KONG'S MAJOR RAILWAY EXPANSION PROJECTS WILL COME INTO USE TOMORROW (SUNDAY).
THE MODERN RAILWAY YARD, WHICH HAS TAKEN NEARLY TWO YEARS TO COMPLETE, IS A KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY (KCR) PROJECT DESIGNED TO IMPROVE AND ENHANCE THE FLOW OF FREIGHT TRAFFIC ARRIVING FROM CHINA.
THE YARD WILL ULTIMATELY CONSIST OF SEVEN TRACKS AND STRETCHES FOR OVER HALF A MILE. ITS FUNCTION IS TO SORT THE WAGONS OF TRAINS ARRIVING FROM CHINA IN A MANNER THAT WILL AVOID EXTENSIVE SHUNTING IN THE FREIGHT TERMINI WHICH WOULD DELAY UNLOADING AND REDUCE THE PRODUCTIVITY OF SIDINGS AND WAGONS.
ADDITIONALLY, THE YARD OBVIATES THE NEED TO SHUNT WAGONS ON THE MAIN LINE WHICH WOULD SERIOUSLY IMPAIR THE PUNCTUALITY OF PASSENGER TRAINS.
THE ENTRANCES TO THE NEW YARD, THE ASSOCIATED MAIN LINE TRACKS AND THE PLATFORMS AT LOWU STATION ARE CONTROLLED BY A MODERN COLOUR SIGNALLING SYSTEM.
K.C.R.'S GENERAL MANAGER, MR. REGINALD GREGORY SAID, THE YARD'S MAIN ADVANTAGE IS THAT UNLOADING OPERATIONS AT FREIGHT TERMINI WILL BE SPEEDED UP. WAGONS CARRYING PIGS AND OTHER LIVESTOCK, FROZEN FOOD, DIESEL OIL AND MANY OTHER COMMODITIES COME FROM ALMOST EVERY PROVINCE IN CHINA AND ARE BOUND FOR AT LEAST FIVE DIFFERENT DESTINATIONS IN HONG KONG.
+NOW WITH FOUR SORTING TRACKS COMPLETED AND ANOTHER THREE- WITH A SHUNTING NECK DUE FOR COMPLETION SHORTLY, THE MARSHALL ING YARD WILL INITIALLY BE DEALING WITH EIGHT TRAINS CONSISTING OF UP TO 240 WAGONS A DAY. THE AVAILABILITY OF THE YARD WILL HOWEVER ADD TO THE RAILWAYS CAPABILITY TO HANDLE AN INCREASED QUANTITY OF FREIGHT FROM CHINA,+ HE SAID.
+WHAT IS MORE,+ MR. GREGORY STATED, +FREIGHT TRAINS COMING LATE AT NIGHT, CAN NOW BE HELD IN THE YARD AWAY FROM THE PASSENGER TRAINS AT THE STATION. THE MARSHALLING YARD IS FITTED WITH FLOODLIGHTS, SO WORK CAN CONTINUE ALL NIGHT SORTING WAGONS ACCORDING TO DESTINATIONS BEFORE THEY LEAVE LOWU AND THE FREIGHT TRAINS CAN LEAVE THE FOLLOWING MORNING WITH MAXIMUM LOADS WITH THE WAGONS LOCATED IN AN ORDER WHICH WILL FACILITATE THEIR RAPID UNLOADING.+
+ANOTHER ADVANTAGE,+ MR. GREGORY SAID, IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THE VOLUME OF FREIGHT TRAFFIC TO AROUND FOUR TIMES THE EXISTING VOLUME. REVENUE FROM A FREIGHT TRAIN IS FAR GREATER THAN THE INCOME FROM A PASSENGER TRAIN.+
/+THIS IS AN IMPORTANT
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