TNAG-0854-FCO40-1064-The-Kowloon-Canton-Railway-1979 — Page 51

GR 175

CACL

NCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG 220914Z FEB 79

HRR173/1

RACEIVED T

TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE INDEX

TELNO.311 OF 22 FEBRUARY,

INFO PRIORITY: PEKING,

ROUTINE : HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.

THROUGH TRAIN SERVICE TO CANTON,

23 FEB 1979

*

N.

N. IN S

FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF AN AGREED PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED TODAY:

''REPRESENTATIVE OF THE KOWLOON CANTON RAILWAY (BRITISH SECTION) AND THE GUANGZHOU RAILWAY ADMINISTRATION HAVE HELD DISCUSSIONS OVER THE PAST TEN DAYS ON PROPOSALS TO INTRODUCE A THROUGH PASSENGER TRAIN SERVICE BETWEEN KOWLOON AND GUANGZHOU. THE NEGOTIATIONS HAVE BEEN HELD IN A FRIENDLY AND CO-OPERATIVE ATMOSPHERE, AND INITIAL

AGREEMENT HAS NOW BEEN REACHED ON THE MAIN TECHNICAL ASPECTS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF SERVICE. OUTSTANDING DETAILS WILL BE RESOLVED

AT A FURTHER MEETING.

BOTH SIDES HAVE UNDERTAKEN TO TAKE STEPS TO SPEED UP THE PREPARATORY WORK NECESSARY FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF A THROUGH TRAIN SERVICE. AS SOON AS THE PREPARATIONS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, A DATE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE ANNOUNCED.

BEFORE FINAL INTRODUCTION OF THE SERVICE BOTH SIDES WILL CONDUCT

A TEST RUN.''

MACLEHOSE

FILES

HK vGD

PS/LORD GERONWY ROBERTS PS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

SIR A PARSONS

MR CORTAZZA

FED

MAED

TRED

OLD

MA. MURRAY

NEWS D Ps

NL STRATTON

COPIES TO:

HONG KONG GOVT.

OFFICE IN LANDON