XN000022-1981-04-12 — Page 2

SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 1981

FIRST SHIPMENT OF ELECTRIC TRAINS ARRIVES

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THE ELECTRIFICATION AND MODERNISATION OF THE KOWLOON CANTON RAILWAY MOVED YET ANOTHER STEP CLOSER TO REALITY TODAY WITH THE DELIVERY OF THE FIRST ELECTRIC TRAIN SET OF THREE CARS.

THE CARS, WHICH ARRIVED IN HONG KONG BY SEA YESTERDAY (SATURDAY) AFTER A 19 000-KILOMETRE JOURNEY FROM ENGLAND, WERE LIFTED BY FLOATING CRANE ONTO THE KCR TRACK AT HUNG HOM.

THEY ARE PART OF A $500 MILLION ORDER FOR 45 THREE-CAR SETS PLACED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WITH METRO-CAMMELL LIMITED IN 1979.

MR LEUNG MIN-SUN, GOVERNMENT ENGINEER (RAILWAY), OF THE PWD, SAID 29 OF THE TRAIN SETS WOULD BE FOR OUTER SUBURBAN USE AND WOULD OPERATE ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE KCR WHILE THE REMAINING 16 SETS WOULD BE USED FOR INNER SUBURBAN SERVICE BETWEEN HUNG HOM AND SHA TIN.

THE OUTER SUBURBAN TRAIN SETS WILL PROVIDE FIRST AND ORDINARY CLASS SEATS, TOILETS AND A SEPARATE LUGGAGE AREA WITH SEATS AND STANDING ROOM FOR 775 PASSENGERS WHILE THE INNER SUBURBAN TRAIN CITS, WHICH WILL ONLY HAVE ORDINARY CLASS SEATS, CAN CARRY UP TO 845 PASSENGERS.

+ALL THESE CARS ARE FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED AND THE INTERIOR HAS BEEN CAREFULLY DESIGNED TO GIVE A CLEAN, SMART AND SPACIOUS APPEARANCE, SAID MR LEUNG.

+THEY CAN BE LINKED TOGETHER TO FORM MULTIPLES OF UP TO 12

CARS.+

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE USE OF CONTINUOUSLY WELDED RAIL, AIR SUSPENSION AND NOISE INSULATION WILL MAKE THESE VEHICLES QUIET AND VERY COMFORTABLE FOR PASSENGERS.

MR LEUNG SAID THE TRAINS DELIVERED TODAY WERE THE TYPE FOR INNER SUBURBAN SERVICE.

+TWO THREE-CAR TRAIN SETS WILL BE LEAVING THE FACTORY IN BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, EVERY THREE WEEKS WHEN PRODUCTION REACHES ITS PEAK EARLY THIS SUMMER, HE ADDED,

+AND BY THE END OF THE YEAR, 20 MORE TRAIN SETS, INCLUDING FIVE OUTER SUBURBAN UNITS ARE EXPECTED.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE KOWLOON CANTON RAILWAY SAID THAT ALL THE UNITS DELIVERED WOULD BE TESTED BY THE MANUFACTURER ON SECTIONS OF KCR TRACK CLOSED TO NORMAL TRAFFIC.

THE CARS WILL UNDERGO 400 KILOMETRES OF TROUBLE FREE RUNNING BEFORE ACCEPTANCE BY TRANSMARK, THE CONSULTANT, AND THE KCR.

REFERRING TO THE PROGRESS OF THE XCR ELECTRIFICATION AND MODERNISATION PROGRAMME, MR LEUNG SAID THAT AS A WHOLE IT WAS GOING

WELL.

/+THE NEW