TNAG-0841-FCO40-1050-Visit-of-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-Chi-1979 — Page 193

ceiling for 1979

CONFIDENTIAL

80. Assuming no further limitations in expenditure in 1980 - 81 and thereafter a double- tracked electrified service will operate as far as Fo Tan by the first quarter of 1982 and through to Lo Wu by the end of 1982. This is 1 years later than the original 'plan to complete the entire electrification by June 1981.

If further financial constraints are placed on the project in the financial years 1980 - 81 and onward the timescale will have to be further extended, This will have serious implications on passenger traffic within Hong Kong and on the railway's ability to cater for the expansion of freight and passenger traffic with the Chinese mainland.

Question

11.

trains?

Passenger through trains

Are there any outstanding problems over through

Answer

Annex B (not enclosed)

Proposals for through passenger trains were endorsed by the Executive Council on 6 October 1978 and a copy of XCC (79)24 is at Annex B for information. Regulations for the carriage of passengers and luggage have still to be settled and officials of the Guangzhou Railway Administration are arriving on 16th March 1979 to continue discussions on this. Their arrival will be on the test train run. Work on the customs, immigration and security complex at Hung Hom has started, and the through train service is expected to start on the target date of 4th April 1979.

Question

Spur line to the container terminal

12.

Is a spur line to the container terminal possible? If so, what volume of cargo would justify it? If not, are special facilities required at Hung Hom for handling

containers?

CONFIDENTIAL

/contd

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