TNAG-0770-FCO40-974-Construction-of-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 61

TRANSIT......2

In 1967, the government called for a survey of a mass transit system. The idea had many opponents it was, they said, too expen- sive, too difficult to build and unlikely to be profitable.

1970 a set of recommendations made the idea feasible.

But by

These were modified into an initial system for 20 kilometres and the government called for a one-contract tender to cover all the work.

The final choice was a huge Japanese consortium headed by Mitsubishi. The Japanese signed a letter of intent, negotiated for a year more, then pulled out.

This was largely due to the oil crisis and its effects on world prices, but some people felt the Japanese had always known their tender was unrealistically low and had merely been stalling. Their with- drawal jeopardised the entire project.

But the Mass Transit Provisional Authority, headed by ex-Cunard managing director Norman Thompson, pressed on and persuaded the govern- ment to let them prove that the money could be raised without risk

and contractors found.

The money was estimated at HK$5,800 million, of which the govern- ment was offering only $800 million. The rest was raised internationally in three weeks by Thompson and his associates, by giving export credits and through local and international loans, guaranteed by the

government.

Contracts were awarded to various countries, including Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Sweden, America and Hongkong itself.

In August 1975, the Mass Transit Railway Corporation was set up. Wholly-owned by the Government, it was to be chaired by Thompson for its first four years. Building began three months later.

The great upheaval was under way - an upheaval still much in evidence as dirt, traffic chaos, dust and noise.

The magnitude of the job made chaos inevitable. The present system is 15.6 kilometres long, has 15 stations, including one called at the moment "the biggest urban hole in Asia", and an underground tunnel running beneath Hongkong's harbour.

When completed, the system will link the main industrial and commercial centre on Hongkong Island with the major industrial and

residential areas in Kowloon.

It will run from Chater Station outside the Mandarin Hotel in Central District in Hongkong, through Hongkong as far as the redlight district of Wanchai and then across the harbour through a 1,400 metre

immersed tube to Kowloon.

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