Government plan to extend railway network is welcome
Hong Kong's railways have become such an integral part of city life that it is difficult to imagine how we could ever do without them.
Hong Kong's railways have become such an integral part of city life that it is difficult to imagine how we could ever do without them. Thanks to the foresight of our policymakers in the 1970s, we are now blessed with a world-class mass transit system. While breakdowns and delays do occur from time to time, the service remains, by and large, efficient and affordable.
It therefore comes as no surprise that the government is keen to extend the network further over the next decade. Under a development plan for 2018-2026, seven railway projects are to be carried out in phases, including a 7.8km Kowloon East link between Diamond Hill and Po Lam and an Island line bridging Central with North Point via Tamar and Wan Chai North.
That railways continue to serve as the backbone of our public transport is to be welcomed. Our roads are already overcrowded with vehicles, whose emissions are detrimental to public health. According to the government, roadside air pollution and greenhouse gases can be expected to fall by 2-4 per cent a year when the new lines are completed. They will also help ease the pressure on the roads, and make the duration of journeys shorter and more predictable. The direct economic benefits will reach HK$3 billion to HK$4 billion a year, officials say.
The expansion is ambitious and challenging. With a total cost of HK$110 billion, financing is understandably an issue. Adding to the concerns are the shortage of construction workers and the delays to ongoing projects, which have cast a shadow over the rail operator's capacity to take on more works. The transport chief has, helpfully, clarified that the seven new projects are scheduled after most of the ongoing works have been completed.
Our railway development has come a long way over the past four decades, growing from a single line to a web that reaches 70 per cent of the population. It makes sense to build on our success and further improve the network.
