XN000022-1982-03-02 — Page 2

TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 1982

NEW RAILWAY OPENS ON MAY 6

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THE FIRST STAGE OF THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY ELECTR IF IED SERVICE WILL BE OPENED ON MAY 6.

ANNOUNCING THE COMMENCEMENT DATE TODAY, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE COMMISSIONING OF THE ELECTRIFIED SERVICE BETWEEN KOWLOON AND SHA TIN MARKED THE BEGINNING OF AN ENTIRELY NEW RAILWAY FOR HONG KONG, ON WHICH SOME $3.5 BILLION WOULD HAVE BEEN SPENT ON COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT.

THE SPOKESMAN ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT FRESH LEGISLATION WAS PROPOSED FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION OF THE NEW RAILWAY AND GAVE DETAILS OF THE NEW FARE STRUCTURE WHICH WOULD BE INTRODUCED IN MAY.

A BILL SEEKING TO REPEAL AND REPLACE THE EXISTING KOWLOON- CANTON RAILWAY ORDINANCE WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AT ITS NEXT MEETING ON MARCH 10. IT WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE ON FRIDAY (MARCH 5).

THE MAIN AMENDMENTS RELATE TO THE MODERNISATION OF THE SERVICE, SUCH AS THE INTRODUCTION OF AN AUTOMATIC REVENUE COLLECTION SYSTEM, AND THE ENHANCED SAFETY OF THE RAILWAY. THE BILL PROVIDES FOR HIGHER PENALTIES FOR ANYONE CAUGHT TAMPERING WITH ANY OF THE SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT OR INSTALLATIONS ESSENTIAL TO THE SAFE RUNNING OF THE NEW RAILWAY.

+WHILE THE FULL ELECTRIFIED SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE A MUCH IMPROVED SERVICE INCLUDING A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN FREQUENCY AND REDUCTION IN JOURNEY TIMES, NOT ALL PASSENGERS WILL REAP THE BENEFITS AT THE OUTSET, AND THIS WAS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN THE NEW FARE STRUCTURE WAS DRAWN UP, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF ELECTRIC TRAINS ON THE INNER SUBURBAN ROUTE THE FREQUENCY OF SERVICE WILL BE INCREASED TO SEVEN TRAINS AN HOUR EACH WAY, AND EIGHT TRAINS AT PEAK PERIODS, AT 10-MINUTE INTERVALS. THE EXISTING SERVICE IS TWO TRAINS AN HOUR RUNNING AT 30-MINUTE INTERVALS.

THE EXISTING DIESEL TRAINS WILL BE RETAINED FOR THE OUTER SUBURBAN SERVICE BEYOND SHA TIN PENDING THE EXTENSION OF THE NEW ELECTRIFIED RAILWAY TO TAI PO MARKET IN EARLY 1983 AND TO LO WU IN MID-1983. BY THIS TIME A TOTAL OF 16 TRAINS AN HOUR EACH WAY WILL BE OPERATED AT PEAK PERIODS BETWEEN KOWLOON AND SHA TIN WHILE THE FREQUENCY OF SERVICE AT OTHER TIMES ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE LINE WILL BE DICTATED BY DEMAND.

THE NEW ORDINARY CLASS FARES FROM KOWLOON WILL BE $1 TO MONG KOK AND KOWLOON TONG AND $1.50 TO SHA TIN. THE EXISTING DIESEL SERVICE ARE 50 CENTS (TO MONG KOK ONLY AS

THE FARES FOR KOWLOON TONG WILL BE A NEW STATION) AND 90 CENTS RESPECTIVELY. DIFFERENCE FOR THE MAJORITY OF PASSENGERS USING THE INNER SUBURBAN SERVICE WILL BE ABOUT 67 PER CENT.

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