XN000022-1994-03-09 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 1994

STUDIES CONFIRM SPUR LINE TO TUEN MUN NORTH FEASIBLE

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FURTHER STUDIES COMMISSIONED BY THE GOVERNMENT FOLLOWING PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT STUDY (RDS) HAVE CONFIRMED THAT A SPUR LINE FROM TIN SHUI WAI TO TUEN MUN NORTH FOR THE PROPOSED NORTHWEST NEW TERRITORIES RAILWAY WAS FEASIBLE AND VIABLE.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, BARMA, DURING A MOTION DEBATE ON THE NORTHWEST AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR HAIDER

NEW TERRITORIES RAILWAY

HOWEVER, HE SAID, FURTHER EXTENSION OF THE SPUR LINE FROM TUEN MUN NORTH TO TUEN MUN TOWN CENTRE USING AN UNDERGROUND ALIGNMENT WOULD BE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE AND COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED AT PRESENT.

AN ALTERNATIVE ALIGNMENT TO TUEN MUN TOWN CENTRE, MAINLY ABOVE GROUND, WAS IDENTIFIED BUT PINPOINTED LAND, ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENT CONSTRAINTS, HE SAID.

INTERCHANGE BETWEEN THE

MR BARMA SAID WITH A PURPOSE BUILT LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT AND THE WESTERN CORRIDOR RAILWAY AT TUEN MUN NORTH, THE TRAVEL TIMES BETWEEN TUEN MUN AND THE URBAN AREA COULD BE MUCH REDUCED.

ON THE RDS AS A WHOLE, MR BARMA SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF FINALISING THE STRATEGY AND HE EXPECTED THAT A BOARD POLICY STEER AND APPROVAL COULD BE OBTAINED WITHIN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.

HE SAID SINCE MOST OF THE EXPENDITURE ON THE NEW RAILWAY WOUND COME AFTER 1997, THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WOULD BE CONSULTED.

MR BARMA ALSO NOTED THAT DURING THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION LAST YEAR, THERE WAS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW WESTERN CORRIDOR RAILWAY SYSTEM TO PROVIDE THREE RAIL SERVICES, NAMELY: A CROSS BORDER FREIGHT LINE, A CROSS BORDER PASSENGER LINE AND A COMMUTER LINK BETWEEN THE NORTHWEST NT AND THE URBAN AREA.

HE SAID THE SYSTEM WAS ACCORDED THE HIGHEST PRIORITY IN THE RDS, RECOMMENDING THAT IT SHOULD BE BUILT BY THE YEAR 2001.

FOR

MR BARMA SAID THE INITIAL STUDIES INDICATED THAT THE COSTS THIS RAILWAY SYSTEM WOULD BE IN THE ORDER OF $23 BILLION IN 1992 PRICES, AND DECISIONS ON FUNDING WOULD HAVE TO AWAIT THE OUTCOME OF DETAILED FINANCIAL STUDIES WHICH WOULD BE UNDERTAKEN ONCE A STRATEGY HAD BEEN AGREED.

"ONE OBVIOUS APPROACH WOULD BE то SEEK INVESTMENT FROM PROSPECTIVE OPERATORS SINCE THE INITIAL STUDY INDICATES THAT THE WESTERN CORRIDOR RAILWAY SYSTEM SHOULD BE FINANCIALLY VIABLE, SAID.

HE

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