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Written by: Chen Jingqi
2020-09-10 13:28
Last update date: 2020-09-10 13:31
The Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail was opened to traffic on September 23 of the previous year, and it is about to enter its second anniversary.
However, under the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the West Kowloon Station of the High Speed Rail ceased operation on January 30 and has resumed open to traffic indefinitely. Starting in February this year, it has recorded "zero passenger volume" for at least 7 months.
According to the "Supplementary Agreement on Service Operation Rights for High Speed Rail" signed by the Hong Kong Government and MTR, there is a "passenger limit mechanism". If the actual number of passengers is less than the expected level, the KCRC wholly-owned by the Hong Kong Government must bear part of the risk and subsidize The loss of the MTR.
Some media quoted the Transport and Housing Bureau today, acknowledging that the high-speed rail has been suspended for seven months. It is initially estimated that the KCRC will have to bear some of the risks according to the mechanism, which means that the Hong Kong government must "subscribe" to subsidize the losses of the MTR operating high-speed rail.
"Hong Kong 01" yesterday (9th) asked the Transport and Housing Bureau for similar issues, but it has not received any reply so far.
The Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail opened to traffic on September 23, 2018, and it is now approaching its second anniversary.
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The Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail, which was built at a cost of 86.42 billion yuan, was opened to traffic for nearly two years. Before the opening, the authorities estimated that the average daily passenger volume of the high-speed rail was 80,100 in 2018, and it is estimated that by 2021, the average daily passenger volume could rise to 9.5 Million people.
However, since the opening of the high-speed rail, the passenger volume has not met expectations for a long time. According to MTR data, the average daily passenger volume in each month after the opening of the high-speed rail has hovered between approximately 31,200 and 62,100.
After the outbreak of the epidemic this year, the high-speed rail has been suspended since January 30 this year and has maintained a "zero passenger" status for at least 7 months.
According to the "Supplementary Agreement on Service Operation Rights" signed by the Hong Kong Government, KCRC and MTR, there is a "passenger limit mechanism". If the actual number of passengers is 15% or more of the expected passenger volume level agreed with both parties In case of deviation, MTR and KCRC will assume the risk in a 3:7 ratio and subsidize the loss of MTR operating high-speed rail.
However, the relevant expected passenger volume level has never been disclosed. Chen Fan, Director of the Transport and Housing Bureau, once pointed out that the figure is far more conservative than the forecast figure of 80,100.
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"Hong Kong 01" has sent an email to the Transport and Housing Bureau yesterday (9th) to inquire whether the Hong Kong Government or the KCRC has touched on the subsidy mechanism in the agreement regarding the suspension of the high-speed rail and whether it is necessary to provide subsidies to the MTR. No reply was received.
The media led the Housing Bureau’s response to preliminary estimates that have touched the high-speed rail passenger subsidy mechanism
Ming Pao today quoted a report from the Transportation and Housing Bureau saying that the Transportation and Housing Bureau has "preliminarily estimated that the KCRC shall bear part of the risk under the "passenger limit mechanism"", and the KCRC and MTR will confirm whether the relevant mechanism and Negotiate payment arrangements.
The report also quoted the Transport and Housing Bureau, saying that the "Supplementary Agreement for Service Operation Rights" does not have an exemption clause for suspension of services due to infectious diseases, but if the KCRC and the MTR agree, the clauses can be revised according to actual conditions.
Two years after opening to traffic, review of MTR’s responsibility for overruns and delays in high-speed rail projects
During the construction of the Hong Kong section of the high-speed rail, serious overruns and delays caused turmoil. The overruns exceeded 20 billion yuan and the opening to traffic was delayed for more than three years.
In 2015, Zhang Bingliang, the then Director of the Transport and Housing Bureau, pointed out that the government would reserve the right to pursue the MTR.
However, when the Transport and Housing Bureau responded to the media, it still pointed out that the government was reviewing the MTR’s responsibilities and preparing for the possible arbitration proceedings.
In other words, the high-speed rail has been opened to traffic for nearly two years, and the related responsibilities have not yet been investigated.
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