Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms. Mable Chan, stated at the Legislative Council meeting today (Jan. 21) that the government is fully advancing the Northern Link project. Among its components, the East Rail Line's Kwu Tung Station commenced construction in 2023 and is progressing well. It is expected to commence service as scheduled next year, aligning with the main population intake period for the Kwu Tung North New Development Area. Last year, the government also signed the first part of the project agreement with the MTR Corporation, adopting an innovative approach to concurrently advance the main line and branch line works of the Northern Link. This has significantly accelerated the timetable by two years compared to the original plan, targeting synchronized opening with the main line by or before 2034.
Ms. Mable Chan also mentioned that the government is currently advancing both the main line and branch line of the Northern Link based on the premise of a full-line simultaneous opening. As the project progresses, the government will jointly study with the MTR Corporation the feasibility of a phased opening. Relevant considerations include overall technical feasibility, coordination with other projects within the new development areas along the route, the pace of projects along the line, and whether it would affect other opening timelines. The authorities will continue to work with the MTR Corporation to compress the construction period, striving for the earliest possible completion of the Northern Link project.
Given that the Kwu Tung North and Fanling North New Development Areas will add a population of over 200,000, a legislator raised concerns about whether the East Rail Line can provide sufficient capacity. Ms. Chan indicated that under the new signaling system, the East Rail Line can achieve a maximum frequency of one train every two minutes. The government and the MTR Corporation are assessing the potential need to purchase additional trains in the future to accommodate the increased passenger flow following the opening of Kwu Tung Station.
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