TNAG-0770-FCO40-974-Construction-of-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 108

(i) buses; (ii) trams;

(iii) light rail transit (LRT); and

(iv) mass transit railway (MTR)

1.16

1.17

The

Two of these modes currently operate in Hong Kong. MTR has been discussed and explained over a period of years

so that there is a general understanding of the concept,

although to date, no actual user experience in Hong Kong.

The LRT concept is new to operators, and planners in Hong Kong although a proven concept elsewhere in the world.

Transport systems are always adapted to meet the needs and

circumstances of a particular city and this mitigates against

a definition of a mode with general applicability. However a broad definition of LRT adopted by the Transportation Research Board (USA) in 1976 was as follows:

"light rail transit is a mode of urban transportation

utilising predominantly reserved but not necessarily grade-separated rights-of-way. Electrically propelled

rail vehicles operate singly or in trains. provides a wide range of passenger capabilities and performance characteristics at moderate costs".

LRT

Despite the obvious disadvantage that LRT cannot be immediately

identified with a existing or future transport operator in

Hong Kong, consideration of the existing proposals for the

corridor illustrate the reason for evaluating such a concept.

1.18

On the one hand, the upgrading of the existing tramway system

has been carefully considered and designed within the context

of the present system. It has double-deck vehicles of the

same width on the same gauge and would serve a very similar

market to that served today. A limited amount of investment

is required most of which represents the new vehicles

themselves. It is not dependent on a large growth in

travel demand.