ENG-2015 — Page 251

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Transport

The environmental impact of new transport projects, during both their construction and operation phases, is monitored closely. Environmental mitigation measures are implemented where necessary to reduce this impact.

In 2015, the government continued to carry out in phases a Public Transport Strategy Study that was launched at the end of 2014 to review the role of non-railway public transport services and the way they complement one another, with the aim of ensuring a balanced, efficient and sustainable public transport network.

Rail Transport

MTR

Railways are safe, efficient, reliable, comfortable and environment-friendly mass carriers. They are the backbone of the public transport system, and are essential to Hong Kong's continued economic, social and land development. They account for about 41 per cent of daily public transport passenger travel and about 55 per cent of land-based cross-boundary passenger trips to the Mainland.

The railways are run by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), a publicly listed company of which the government is the majority shareholder.

The MTR system comprises:

⚫ the Kwun Tong Line (Tiu Keng Leng-Yau Ma Tei);

⚫ the Tsuen Wan Line (Tsuen Wan-Central);

⚫ the Island Line (Chai Wan-Kennedy Town);

• the Tung Chung Line (Hong Kong-Tung Chung);

⚫ the Tseung Kwan O Line (Po Lam/Lohas Park-North Point);

• the East Rail Line (Hung Hom-Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau);

⚫ the West Rail Line (Tuen Mun-Hung Hom);

⚫ the Ma On Shan Line (Wu Kai Sha-Tai Wai); and

⚫ the Disneyland Resort Line (Sunny Bay-Disneyland Resort).

There are 85 stations in the 177.4km network. The MTRCL also operates a 35.2km Airport Express connecting the urban areas to Hong Kong International Airport and AsiaWorld-Expo, and a 36.2km Light Rail network which has 68 stops in the northwest New Territories. Light Rail feeder bus services provide rail passengers with a more comprehensive service network. The entire system carries an average of around 5.1 million passengers each day.

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