XN000022-1985-05-31 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1985

+ IT CONTRIBUTES BOTH TO THE EFFICIENCY OF OUR TRANSPORT SYSTEM AND TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN HONG KONG. I AM SURE THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO FOR MANY GENERATIONS TO COME, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

SIR EDWARD WAS SPEAKING JUST BEFORE DECLARING OPEN THE MTR ISLAND LINE AT TAI KOO STATION TODAY.

THE COMPLETION OF THE MAJOR PART OF THE ISLAND LINE TODAY WAS ANOTHER MILESTONE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MTR, HE SAID.

+ IT BRINGS ABOUT A MUCH-NEEDED UNDERGROUND TRANSPORT LINK NOT ONLY BETWEEN THE URBAN PART OF HONG KONG ISLAND, BUT ALSO BETWEEN HONG KONG ISLAND AND THE OTHER PARTS OF THE TERRITORY, + THE GOVERNOR SAID.

KNOWN.

THE SUCCESS OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY PROJECT WAS WIDELY

DESPITE DIFFICULT GROUND CONDITIONS AND THE DENSE URBAN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH IT HAD TO BE BUILT, SIR EDWARD SAID, THE

ISLAND LINE HAD BEEN CONSTRUCTED, AS HAD BEEN THE MOD IF IED INITIAL SYSTEM AND THE MASS TRANSIT EXTENSION, AHEAD OF TIME AND WITHIN BUDGET.

ALL MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS HAD TO COME TO AN END, SIR EDWARD SAID.

+THIS REGRETTABLY MEANS THAT THE ENGINEERING AND PROJECT DIVISION OF THE CORPORATION WILL NOW BE CONTRACTED.

+THIS TEAM CAN BE PROUD OF ITS ENGINEERING ACHIEVEMENTS. IT IS SAD THAT MANY OF THEM WILL NOW HAVE TO MOVE ON TO NEW PROJECTS ELSEWHERE.

+BUT THEY CAN LOOK BACK WITH PRIDE ON WHAT THEY HAVE CREATED HERE, AND WE WISH THEM EVERY SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE, HE SAID.

ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG, SIR EDWARD THANKED AND CONGRATULATED THEM FOR THE TREMENDOUS EFFORT WHICH THEY HAVE PUT INTO COMPLETING THE PROJECT IN SUCH A HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL AND EFFICIENT MANNER+.

THE GOVERNOR ALSO CONGRATULATED THE MANY CONTRACTORS, CONSULTANT ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICERS WHO HAD ALSO BEEN UNSTINTING IN THEIR EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT.

TOGETHER, SIR EDWARD SAID, THEY HAD CREATED FOR HONG KONG ONE OF THE MOST MODERN, HIGH-CAPACITY UNDERGROUND RAILWAY SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD.

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