CONFIDENTIAL
Capacity and Problems
3.
Pre-electrification
The General Manager, Railway, with the agreement of the Guangzhou Railway Administration, has recently increased the number of freight trains from eight to ten a
⚫day.
Taken with the level of fixed resources, especially locomotives, and in conjunction with passenger demand (also increasing), this is about the limit of the railway's
current capability.
4.
The other main constraint is limited terminal
facilities. This has been partly overcome by persuading local loading contractors to work extended hours and a 15% increase in handling ability should be possible for the
next two or three years.
5.
Discussions are being held with the Chinese authorities on the possibility of through freight trains with Chinese locomotives. These are only at a preliminary
stage.
6.
2.
The Executive Council will be asked on 20th March
1979 to advise whether private treaty grants of land at Hung Hom and Mongkok should be made to Chinese organisations (the CTS and the Union Egg Corporation) for them to build godowns for freight imports from China.
Capacity
7.
Post-electrification
A three hundred percent increase in capacity, i.e. from two to six million tons per annum, is forecast after the railway is electrified. This will parallel vast increases in passenger train frequency using electrically powered rolling stock, and leaving the entire diesel locomotive fleet to handle freight.
*
CONFIDENTIAL.
/contd
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