XN000022-1978-09-15 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1978

LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM STUDY ORDERED

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS ORDERED A FURTHER STUDY OF A PROPOSAL TO LINK BOTH ENDS OF HONG KONG ISLAND, FROM KENNEDY TOWN TO CHAI WAN, WITH A LIGHT RAILWAY SYSTEM.

AN AGREEMENT FOR THE STUDY WAS SIGNED TODAY BY THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, MR. NICKY CHAN, AND THE CHAIRMAN OF MARTIN AND VOORHEES ASSOCIATES, MR. BRIAN MARTIN,

THE $8.5 MILLION STUDY WILL CONCERN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A +SEGREGATED RIGHT-OF-WAY+ FOR LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES AND ASSOCIATED TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES WHICH INCLUDE THE NEEDS OF THE PEDESTRIAN.

THE CONSULTANTS WILL ALSO PREPARE PRELIMINARY DESIGNS AND DRAWINGS FOR THE SEGREGATION OF THE LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES, FLYOVERS ACROSS THE CORRIDOR, PEDESTRIAN FOOTBRIDGES AND SUBWAYS.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY FORMALLY INVITED THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (L.R.T.) STRATEGY, WITH A VIEW TO THE CORPORATION TAKING ON THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM IF IT IS DECIDED TO PROCEED WITH CONSTRUCTION.

AS A RESULT, THE CORPORATION WILL BE CARRYING OUT A REVIEW OF THE FINANCIAL ASPECT OF THE L.R.T. SYSTEM ALONG WITH THE TUNNELLING AND ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL AND OPERATIONAL ASPECTS.

CLOSE LIAISON BETWEEN THE TWO STUDIES WILL BE NECESSARY FOR THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE L.R.T. SYSTEM. STUDIES ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE ABOUT ONE YEAR TO COMPLETE.

THESE

MONTAY

THE 1976 REPORT ON THE COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY POINTED OUT THAT THE ISLAND CORRIDOR, STRETCHING FROM CHAI WAN IN THE EAST TO KENNEDY TOWN IN THE WEST, REPRESENTED ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT TRANSPORT SITUATIONS IN HONG KONG, AND OUTLINED THE GENERAL APPROACH REQUIRED TO ANALYSE THE PROBLEMS IN THE CORRIDOR.

AS A FOLLOW-UP TO THE RECOMMENDATION IN THE COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY, THE GOVERNMENT COMMISSIONED LAST YEAR A DETAILED TRANSPORT STUDY OF THE CORRIDOR. THIS STUDY, COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY 1978, RECOMMENDED THE INTRODUCTION OF A LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM TO BE DEVELOPED SYSTEMATICALLY IN STAGES FROM THE EXISTING TRAMWAY WITH A VIEW TO EVENTUAL DEVELOPMENT INTO A MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY ISLAND LINE.

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