THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1978
GOVERNOR TAKES A 'RAIL BUS' RIDE TO SEE KCR DEVELOPMENT
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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, TODAY WENT FOR A 'RAIL BUS' RIDE TO SEE THE PROGRESS ON VARIOUS PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY'S MODERNISATION AND ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAMMES.
THE NEW PROJECTS THAT THE GOVERNOR SAW DURING HIS TRIP FROM KOWLOON TO THE RACE COURSE STATION INCLUDED WORK ON DOUBLE TRACKING AND RESIGNALLING BETWEEN KOWLOON AND SHA TIN, RE-BALLASTING AND RELAYING OF TRACK WITH CONTINUOUSLY WELDED RAIL TO CATER FOR FAST TRAINS.
EN ROUTE HE VIEWED THE SITES FOR NEW STATIONS AT KOWLOON TONG AND TAI WAI AND STOPPED TO SEE PROGRESS ON CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BEACON HILL TUNNEL.
HE ALSO VISITED THE NEWLY COMMISSIONED SHA TIN TEMPORARY STATION WHICH, BY THE END OF 1980, WILL BE REPLACED BY A MODERN STATION INCORPORATING PODIUM DEVELOPMENT WITH A CONCOURSE ABOVE TRACK LEVEL, RESTAURANTS, SHOPS AND COMMERCIAL OFFICES.
SIR MURRAY ALSO WENT TO THE HO TUNG LAU WORKSHOPS DESCRIBED BY A KCR SPOKESMAN AS +THE BACK-BONE OF THE RAILWAY+.
THE WORKSHOPS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE EFFICIENT OPERATION OF ALL ROLLING STOCK TO ENSURE THAT STANDARDS OF COMFORT FOR PASSENGERS AND MAXIMUM AVAILABILITY AND RELIABILITY ARE MA INTA INED.
UNDER THE IR CARE ARE 12 LOCOMOTIVES, 99 COACHES AND 102 WAGONS WHICH LAST YEAR CONVEYED 14.5 MILLION PASSENGERS, 1.5 MILLION TONS OF FREIGHT AND 1.9 MILLION HEADS OF LIVESTOCK.
THE GOVERNOR WAS ALSO BRIEFED ON EXPANSION PLANS FOR THE WORKSHOPS TO COPE WITH THE NEW ELECTR IF IED RAILWAY SERVICE IN 1981, AND SAW A DEMONSTRATION ON HOW A DERAILED WAGON WAS PUT BACK ONTO THE TRACK BY A MAINTENANCE CREW USING POWERFUL HYDRAUL IC RE-RA ILING EQUIPMENT.
HE WAS ACCOMPANIED ON THE VISIT BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MR. DEREK JONES AND KCR GENERAL MANAGER, MR. BOBBIE HOWES.
DURING HIS THREE-HOUR VISIT, SIR MURRAY ALSO HELD DISCUSSIONS WITH MR. JONES AND MR. HOWES ON VARIOUS RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT PLANS, AND MET REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TWO RAILWAY STAFF UNIONS.
IN THE COURSE OF HIS VISIT TO THE RAILWAY WORKSHOPS, SIR MURRAY ALSO MET AND SPOKE TO MANY OF THE VILLAGERS OF LOK LO HA WHO PRESENTED HIM WITH A PETITION. IN THE PETITION, THE VILLAGERS ASKED FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVING THE VILLAGE WHICH THEY FEEL HAS DETERIORATED DUE TO DEVELOPMENT IN SHA TIN NEW TOWN.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID: +A CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW BUS TURNING CIRCLE IS EXPECTED TO START VERY SOON IN THE NEW YEAR. WHEN THIS IS FINISHED IT SHOULD ALLOW FOR EXTENSION OF THE NUMBER 88B BUS SERVICE TO WITHIN THE WALKING DISTANCE OF LOK LO HA VILLAGE.+
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