IV.
LIGHT RAIL DEVELOPMENT OF THE KCRC
Since the introduction of Light Rail Transit System (LTR) in 1988 to serve the residents of Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, the system has continually expanded and at present the network has a total of 31 route kilometres with 55 stops, after the completion of the Tuen Mun Regional Extensions in February 1992 and Tin Shui Wai Extension in early 1993. Average daily passenger traffic now reaches 320,000.
The Tuen Mun Regional Extensions consist of the Tuen Mun Northeast link and the Sam Shing extension, whilst the Tin Shui Wai Extension links this new town to Yuen Long and Tuen Mun. These two extensions form the Phase 2 of the LRT development, in which Balfour Beatty together with a local contractor (Henryvi cy Construction Co Ltd) were involved in developing the rail infrastructures. British elements also included traffic control systems from Plessey. (The initial Phase 1 System was built by the Australian consortium of Leighton-MTA)
LRT has ordered 30 new light rail vehicles (from Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan) to serve the new extensions and to strengthen the present fleet. Delivery of these new vehicles has started in last September and all will be put into service later this year.
Regarding possible future expansion of the LRT, an extension might be planned to connect So Kwun Wat depending on whether Government will develop major housing estates there; another route from Sam Shing to Tuen Mun Town Centre; and finally possible extended routes and stops in the Tin Shui Wai area. All these are relatively minor extensions which may be developed in the future.
In the longer term, any major developments will depend very much on the outcome of the Government's Railway Development Study and what the final decision will be regarding the proposed Western Corridor and its alignments. Any upgrading or new track planning will serve the objective of facilitating the commuter service linking the LRT to the projected Western Corridor heavy rail line to the urban area.
Tony Yu
13 July 1993
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