XN000022-1982-05-04 — Page 3

TUESDAY, MAY 4, 1982

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+SINCE KOWLOON TONG STATION HAS BEEN LOCATED AT THE POINT WHERE THE KCR PASSES DIRECTLY OVER MTR, CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN PHASED SO THAT THE STATION OPENING COINCIDES WITH THE

INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW ELECTRIC TRAIN SERVICE BETWEEN KOWLOON AND SHA TIN, HE SAID.

TO FACILITATE INTERCHANGE WITH THE MTR, THE NEW STATION CONCOURSE HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED UNDERGROUND SO THAT PASSENGERS CAN CONVENIENTLY MOVE BETWEEN THE KCR AND MTR AT THE SAME LEVEL.

PASSENGERS FROM MTR, HAVING BOUGHT THEIR TICKETS, CAN MOVE BETWEEN THE CONCOURSE AND THE KCR PLATFORMS, USING THE THREE ESCALATORS AND ONE STAIRCASE PROVIDED FOR EACH PLATFORM.

PASSENGERS WISHING TO ENTER OR LEAVE THE STATION DIRECTLY CAN USE THE TWO ESCALATORS AND STAIRCASE PROVIDED AT THE PLAZA ENTRY AREA AT THE JUNCTION OF KENT ROAD AND SUFFOLK ROAD, WHICH WILL BE LANDSCAPED.

DISABLED PASSENGERS ARE PROVIDED WITH LIFTS BETWEEN THE CONCOURSE AND THE PLATFORMS AS WELL AS AT THE PLAZA ENTRY AREA.

THE STATION COMPRISES TWO NEW PLATFORMS, EACH MEASURING 300 METRES LONG WITH CANOPIES FOR WEATHER PROTECTION ALONG HALF THE IR LENGTH. THE UNDERGROUND CONCOURSE IS ABOUT 2 700 SQUARE METRES IN AREA AND SOME EIGHT METRES BELOW GROUND LEVEL. ACOUSTIC INSULATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO REDUCE THE SOUND OF TRAINS IN THE CONCOURSE BECAUSE THE KCR TRACKS LIE DIRECTLY OVERHEAD.

THE CONCOURSE IS FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED AND CONTAINS THE TICKET OFFICE, AUTOMATIC TICKET-VENDING MACHINES AS WELL AS AUTOMATIC TICKET BARRIERS. MANUALLY OPERATED GATES ARE PROVIDED TO ALLOW THE PASSAGE OF DISABLED PASSENGERS AND FOR THOSE CARRYING HEAVY LUGGAGÉ,

ALSO SITUATED IN THE CONCOURSE ARE OFFICERS FOR THE KOR OPERATING STAFF, A POLICE REPORTING CENTRE AND A NEWSPAPER KIOSK. PUBLIC LAVATORIES ARE PROVIDED IN THE CONCOURSE FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF PASSENGERS.

PUBLIC TELEPHONES AND A POST BOX ARE ALSO INSTALLED.

THE KCR SPOKESMAN SAID IT IS EXPECTED THAT SOME 80 000 PASSENGERS WILL USE THE STATION EACH DAY BY THE END OF 1982, RISING TO OVER 160 000 PER DAY IN 1991, +PROVISION IS MADE IN THE STATION DESIGN TO INCORPORATE MORE TICKET BARRIERS AND VENDING MACHINES AS PASSENGER DEMAND RISES, HE ADDED.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE INITIAL TRAIN SERVICE WILL BE ONE ELECTRIC TRAIN EVERY TEN MINUTES THROUGHOUT THE DAY TO SHA TIN AND TO KOWLOON STATION AT HUNG HOM. +TRAVEL TIMES WILL BE SIX MINUTES TO KOWLOON STATION AND FIVE MINUTES TO THE NEW SHA TIN STATION, HE SAID.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE INTERCHANGE STARTED IN MAY 1980 AND THE WORK HAS BEEN DESIGNED BY TRANSMARK, THE KCR CONSULTANTS.

THE MODERNISATION AND ELECTRIFICATION OF KCR OF WHICH KOWLOON TONG STATION IS A PART, HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT BY THE RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT OFFICE OF THE ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.