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Hongkong's
It will then pass under the full length of Nathan Road - "golden mile" of shops and stores - and, turning east, will head out through various housing estates, beyond but not touching Kai Tak Airport and will end at Kwun Tong.
This will be the only fully-airconditioned mass transit system in
the world necessary in Hongkong's hot and humid climate.
Also, each carriage can carry up to 375 people, only 48 having seats. This is not considered a disadvantage. The average journey is estimated at nine minutes.
The biggest station will be Chater Station in the heart of the financial district of Hongkong Island. It will be 380 metres long and is expected to handle about 350,000 passengers a day.
An extension to Tsuen Wan is now being put out to tender, pushing the system another 10.5 kilometres.
One provision of the Mass Transit Railway Ordinance, enacted by Governor Sir Murray MacLehose, was that the line should "conduct its business according to prudent commercial principles" and never become a charge against public revenue.
If this is achieved, it will be unique among mass transit systems and its supporters claim that it will make a profit.
Meanwhile, work is kept up to schedule by round-the-clock labour. The first trains will operate along an eight kilometre route in North Kowloon in September of next year and the line will become fully operational by March 1980.
There have been casualties. Some of Hongkong's oldest buildings have been literally shaken to their roots and may have to come down. These include the stately Supreme Court building and the grand colonial Hongkong Club.
But the trains are the thing and, if present progress continues, they will be running on time. - GEMINI
Copyright Gemini News Service Ltd (1978)
GG 6397/3
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