XN000022-1978-05-14 — Page 4

SUNDAY, MAY 14, 1978

NEW KCR GENERAL MANAGER APPOINTED

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THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS HAS APPROVED THE APPOINTMENT OF MR. D.M. HOWES, A SENIOR MANAGER FROM BRITISH RAIL, AS GENERAL MANAGER OF THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAIL.AY TO SUCCEED R. REGINALD GREGORY, WHO LEFT HONG KONG IN FEBRUARY.

HOMES HAS HAD A TOTAL OF 42 YEARS' EXPERIENCE WITH RAILWAYS 1 BRITAIN AND OTHER COUNTRIES, MANY AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS. HIS APPOINTMENT WILL BE FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS INITIALLY.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID MR. HOWES HAD BEEN APPOINTED BECAUSE OF HIS LONG EXPERIENCE WITH RAILWAYS AND PARTICULARLY ELECTRIFIED RAILWAY SYSTEMS.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD DECIDED TO ELECTRIFY THE WHOLE OF THE KCR MAIN LINE FROM HUNG HOM TO LO WU AT A COST OF ABOUT $400 MILLION AND THAT A STUDY WAS NOW BEING UNDERTAKEN EY CONSULTANTS AS TO HOW BEST THIS PROJECT SHOULD DE CARRIED OUT.

+ELECTRIFICATION OF THE KCR, TOGETHER ITH DOUELE TRACKING AND OTHER MEASURES TO MODERNISE THE RAILWAY, ARE ESSENTIAL IF IT

IS TO COPE WITH AN EXPECTED SEVEN-FOLD GROWTH IN PASSENGER TRAFFIC EY 1990, AS WELL AS LARGE INCREASES IN THE VOLUME OF FREIGHT,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

+AND AN ELECTRIFIED RAILWAY SYSTEM WILL ALSO SHORTEN JOURLEY TIMES AND BE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE FOR THE TRAVELLING PUBL 10, + HE ADDEL.

THE SPOKESMAN ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS NO ONE IN HONG KONG WITH THE NECESSARY EXPERIENCE TO GUIDE THE RAILWAY THROUGH THE PERIOD WHEN THE HIGHLY COMPLEX ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAMME, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE TECHNIQUES NEW TO HONG KONG, WAS DETE UNDERTAKEN.

ONE OF MR. HOWES'S HAJOR TASKS WOULD BE TO SELECT AND TRAIL A LOCAL MEMBER OF THE KCR STAFF TO SUCCEED HIM AS GENERAL ·ANAGER TO RUN WHAT WOULD EY THEN BE A MUCH BUSTEP AND OPERATIONALLY FAR PORE SOPHISTICATED RAILWAY.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT, BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IN WORKLOAD AND RESPONSIBILITIES TO WHICH THE IMPLENEITATION OF THE ELECTRIFICATION AND MODERNISATION PROGRAMITE ILL GIVE FICE A NEW POST OF DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER OF THE KCR HAS BEEN CREATED.

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THIS POST ILL BE FILLED IY THE PROMOTION OF R. ONG L-LA,, WHO IS AT PRESENT ASSISTANT GENERAL PALAGER, AND WHO HAS BEE ACTING AS GENERAL MANAGER SINCE THE DEPARTURE OF AR. GREECFY.

MR. HOWES IS MARRIED AND HAS TAARRIED CHILDREN. HE WAS THE CHIEF OPERATING MANAGER OF THE LONDON/MIDLAND REGION CF BRITISH RAIL FROM 1971 TO 1774 AND THE GENERAL MANAGER FROM 1974 TC 1977. MR. HOWES HAS UNTIL RECENTLY BEEN DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR OF A MAJOR FIRM OF TRANSPORT CONSULTANTS.

MR. WONG'S SERVICE WITH THE KCF DATES EACK TO 1953 WHEN HE WAS APPOINTED ASSISTANT MECHANICAL ENGINEER. HE PAS BEE.. ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER SINCE 1773.