ENG-2003 — Page 298

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TRANSPORT

the Light Rail (LR). Cross-boundary service is also provided by the East Rail. The system now covers about 190 kilometres and has three MTR harbour crossings.

There is also a tramway serving as a local distributor on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island and a funicular tramway running between Central (Garden Road) and the Peak.

Railway Projects Under Construction

The four railway projects under construction are:

* The 11.4-kilometre Ma On Shan to Tai Wai Rail Link (MOS Rail) that connects the Ma On Shan town to the existing KCR East Rail at Tai Wai Station. Construction started in November 2000 for completion in 2004.

* The one-kilometre Hung Hom to Tsim Sha Tsui Extension (TST Extension) that extends the KCR East Rail from the existing Hung Hom terminus to a new station at Tsim Sha Tsui East. Construction started in March 2001 for completion in 2004.

* The 3.5-kilometre Penny's Bay Rail Link that connects a new Sunny Bay Station on the existing MTR Tung Chung Line to Penny's Bay where Hong Kong Disneyland is being built. Construction started in August 2002 for completion in 2005, to tie in with the opening of the Disneyland.

* The 7.4-kilometre Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spur Line (Spur Line) connects the KCR East Rail at Sheung Shui with a new passenger boundary crossing at Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang. Construction started in October 2002 for completion before mid-2007.

Railway Projects Under Planning

The seven railway projects under planning are:

* The Kowloon Southern Link (KSL) that will connect the KCR East Rail and West Rail at the southern tip of the Kowloon Peninsula. Upon completion, passengers will be able to interchange between the East Rail and the West Rail at Hung Hom. The project is in the detailed planning and design stage, with completion envisaged around 2009.

* The 17-kilometre Shatin to Central Link (SCL) that will be a strategic corridor from the New Territories to Hong Kong Island, via south-eastern Kowloon. The KCRC, which was awarded the project, is firming up the scheme with a view to completing the link within the window of 2008-2011 as recommended in the RDS- 2000.

* The South Hong Kong Island Line (SIL) that links up the northern and southern parts of Hong Kong Island. The MTRCL is carrying out a preliminary study to develop various schemes for integrating the SIL and the WIL Phase 1.

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The Island Line Extensions that will comprise a new North Hong Kong Island Line (NIL) and a new West Hong Kong Island Line (WIL). The NIL will be an extension of the existing MTR Tung Chung Line eastwards along the north shore of Hong Kong Island to join up with the eastern half of the MTR Island Line (ISL) at Fortress Hill. At the same time, the MTR Tseung Kwan O Line (TKL) will be connected with the ISL's western half at Tin Hau. The WIL will be an extension of the existing ISL from Sheung Wan to Kennedy Town. The Government decided in January 2003 that the NIL would be deferred beyond 2016 because of a slower build- up of population along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, and that the route