XN000022-1988-08-07 — Page 3

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 1988

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LRT FORMS BACKBONE OF NEW TOWN TRANSPORT SYSTEM

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SJR DAVID

THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT WILL FORM THE BACKBONE OF THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM WITHIN THE TUEN MUN NEW TOWN, AND WILL PROVIDE THE MAJOR LINK BETWEEN TUEN MUN AND YURN LONG, THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

SPEAKING AT A CEREMONY MARKING COMPLETION OF PHASE ! OF THE LRT SYSTEM THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN HONG KONG, SIR DAVID NOTED THE TUEN MUN-YUEN LONG CORRIDOR HAD A LONG HISTORY AS

MAJOR COMMUNICATION ROUTE TO THE HINTERLAND.

HE SAID OVER THE YEARS, TUEN MUN HAD BECOMB AN EMERGING NEW TOWN LARGELY BUILT ON VIRGIN LAND WITH FULL TOWN PLANNING CONTROL.

MEANWHILE, YUEN LONG HAD EVOLVED GRADUALLY FROM A RURAL MARKET TOWN INTO AN URBANISED TOWNSHIP, AND YET RETAINING ITS RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE AND LOCAL CHARACTERISTICS.

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"THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION LINK BETWEEN THESE TWO NEIGHBOURING COMMUNITIES, SIR DAVID SAID.

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SIR DAVID ALSO NOTED THAT WHEN TIN SHUI WAI JOINED THE LEAGUE OF NEW TOWNS IN THE AREA, IT WOULD HELP TO FOSTER THE DEVELOPMENT THE NORTHWEST NEW TERRITORIES INTO A MAJOR REGIONAL COMMUNITY.

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"SÒ, THE LIGHT RAI. TRANSIT SYSTEM IS NOT ONLY A MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION,

IT ALSO SERVES A PURPOSE," HE SAID.

SIGNIFICANT AS

WIDER COMMUNITY

SIR DAVID SAID

REFERRING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LRT SYSTEM, IT WAS ALMOST A DECADE AGO THAT THE GOVERNMENT FIRST CONCEIVED THE IDEA OF DEVELOPING AN EFFICIENT, COMFORTABLE AND POLLUTION-FREE TRANSPORT SYSTEM TO CATER FOR THE NEEDS OL THE DEVELOPING NEW TOWNS IN THE NORTHWEST NEW TERRITORIES REGION.

IN 1984. THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY CORPORATION TOOK ON THE RESPONSIBILITY TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT.

SIR DAVID RECALLED THAT THE TURN-KEY CONTRACT FOR THE LRT PROJECT, INCLUDING THE DESIGN, MANUFACTURF, INSTALLATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE WHOLE PHASE 1 OF THE SYSTEM, WAS AWARDED TO LEIGHTON MTA CONSORTIUM OF AUSTRALIA IN AUGUST 1985, KFULL COMPLETION DATE SCHEDULED ON AUGUST 8, THIS YEAR.

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UNDER THE CONTRACT, THE CONSORTIUM WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUPPLY OF 70 LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES, THE OVERHEAD LING SYSTEM, COMMUNICATION AND CONTROL EQUIPMENT, FARE COLLECTION EQUIPMENT AND WORKSHOP EQUIPMENT.

/"THE CONTRACT