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The HKSAR Government has announced to proceed with further planning and design of the Hong Kong Section of the Express Rail Link (XRL) in April 2008. The XRL will run on a dedicated corridor and will have its terminus at West Kowloon.
Proposed Express Rail Link (Hong Kong Section)
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Background
The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link is an express rail line that connects Hong Kong to the national express rail network. It aims at providing a rapid and convenient rail service. The XRL will effectively connect Hong Kong to Shibi in Guangzhou, with intermediate stations at Futian, Longhua in Shenzhen and Humen in Dongguan.
With interchange stations at Futian, Longhua and Shibi, passengers from Hong Kong will be directly linked to the Shenzhen Metro, Hangzhou-Fuzhou-Shenzhen Passenger Line and Beijing-Guangzhou Passenger Line respectively.
Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link
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Project Description
The proposed project scheme in Hong Kong comprises the underground West Kowloon Terminus (WKT), and dedicated tunnel of 26km in length from WKT to the Hong Kong / Shenzhen Boundary. There will be no intermediate station in the Hong Kong Section.
Stations |
Hong Kong Section - West Kowloon Terminus
Mainland Section - Futian, Longhua (New Shenzhen), Humen and Shibi (New Guangzhou) |
Stabling Sidings |
A stabling sidings and maintenance facility in Shek Kong with an emergency rescue station |
Route Length |
Approximately 26km |
Train Frequency |
Approximately 3 minutes peak hour headway (ultimate) |
Train Speed |
Maximum operating speed at 200km/hour |
Maximum Passenger Capacity |
10,000 passengers per hour per direction |
Proposed West Kowloon Terminus
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Railway Service
The XRL will provide high-speed and long haul services between West Kowloon Terminus to various destinations in the Mainland. The anticipated annual patronage will be approximately 40 million in year 2030.
Estimated Journey Time
Between HK and Futian, Shenzhen |
14 minutes |
Between HK and Longhua, Shenzhen |
23 minutes |
Between HK and Shibi, Guangzhou |
48 minutes |
Between HK and Changsha, Hunan |
4 hours |
Between HK and Nanning, Guangxi |
5 hours |
Between HK and Fuzhou, Fujian |
5 hours |
Between HK and Wuhan, Hubei |
5 hours |
Between HK and Shanghai |
8 hours |
Between HK and Beijing |
10 hours |
Between HK and Chengdu, Sichuan |
12 hours |
Programme
| Commencement of Preliminary Design |
2008 |
| Gazettal under the Railways Ordinance* |
2008 |
| Commencement of Construction |
2009 |
| Completion of the XRL (Hong Kong Section) |
2014/2015 |
*Note: Scheme gazettal upon endorsement by Government
Funding Arrangement
Concession approach is adopted for the project.
Public Consultation
- To formulate a scheme that best meets the needs of the communities, we welcome feedbacks from members of the public.
Roving Exhibition
Date |
Venue |
27/9/08 - 1/10/08 |
MTR Hung Hom Station |
2/10/08 - 7/10/08 |
MTR Kowloon Station |
8/10/08 - 13/10/08 |
MTR Tsing Yi Station |
14/10/08 - 16/10/08 |
MTR Tung Chung Station |
17/10/08 - 23/10/08 |
MTR Olympic Station |
1/11/08 - 7/11/08 |
MTR Central Station |
Benefits
The XRL will create value to Hong Kong in monetary and non-monetary terms. The benefits include:
- Significant strategic value in connecting Hong Kong to the national express rail network;
- With long-haul through trains provided between Mainland cities and Hong Kong, it will strengthen HK as a regional transportation hub and commercial centre ;
- Travelling time savings generated by a fast and reliable railway service;
- Environmental benefits (air and noise) brought about by a reduction in road traffic;
- Create new employment opportunities during construction stage and operating stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) What is the patronage forecast?
- According the patronage forecast, it is envisaged that by year 2030, there will be an annual patronage of approx. 40 million.
2) Why adopt dedicated corridor instead of shared corridor?
- The Shared Corridor Option (SCO) has been re-assessed in the light of latest planning parameter and system data from the Mainland. The SCO will not be able to meet the service requirement envisaged by 2016 and extensive modifications to the existing railway line will unavoidably disrupt the daily operations of the West Rail Line. In addition, operating constraints will be induced on both WRL and XRL that would compromise the service level and operation efficiency of both lines.
3) Why there is no intermediate railway station in the New Territories?
- The purpose of the line is to better integrate Hong Kong with the Mainland. Majority of the people traveling to HK will go to the city centre for shopping or business. In addition, having additional intermediate stations will significantly increase the journey time from WKT to Futian, which will defeat the purpose of having express rail services.
4) Will there be a depot for the maintenance of XRL trains? Where will it be?
- The main maintenance facilities for XRL trains will likely be located in the Mainland. For the Hong Kong Section of the XRL, a stabling sidings and maintenance facility will be located at Shek Kong to provide stabling, maintenance and cleaning activities.
5) Will the XRL (Hong Kong Section) be completed later than the Mainland section?
- The Mainland section of XRL from Guangzhou to Shenzhen will be completed around 2011 with the terminal station at Futian. The Hong Kong Section will be fast tracked with a target completion by year 2014 / 2015. The completion date of XRL from Beijing to Guangzhou will be completed around 2015.
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