CHINA: Hong Kong metro operator MTR Corp held a dancing lion eye-dotting ceremony and performance on October 3 to bring good fortune to the construction of the Northern Link Main Line which is now officially underway, and to mark the start of detailed design for the Northern Link Spur Line.
Two lines
The Northern Link Main Line will connect the existing East Rail Line at Kwu Tung with the Tuen Ma Line at Kam Sheung Road to form a loop connecting the New Territories and the Kowloon urban area.
The 4·2 km Northern Link Spur will branch off from NLML to run to Huanggang Port in mainland China as Hong Kong’s third direct cross-boundary rail link. There will be co-located border facilities and access to the Shenzhen metro.
The two projects are being progressed together to maximise synergies, with the synchronised opening of both lines planned by no later than 2034.
Nourishing the region
’For a region to thrive, it must have nourishment. The Northern Link, officially launched today, is not only a landmark infrastructure project in the Northern Metropolis but also a transport artery connecting the population across the area, providing vital support for development’, said Mable Chan, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Transport & Logistics.
MTR Corp Chairman Dr Rex Auyeung said ‘the Northern Metropolis is a new growth engine for Hong Kong’s future economic development, and rail remains the city’s efficient and reliable public transport backbone. The Northern Link will not only greatly enhance accessibility within the Northern Metropolis but also deepen Hong Kong’s cross-boundary connections with the mainland.’
