With the opening of the cross-sea section of the East Rail Line on Sunday (May 15), it is proposed that the SCL, which has been in operation for 20 years, is almost completed, marking the realization of the fourth cross-sea railway in Hong Kong.
It is worth noting that in the original plan, it should be the second cross-sea railway in Hong Kong, but for various reasons, it took 52 years from the initial proposal to the opening to traffic.
The SAR Government completed the "Third Overall Transport Study" in 1999, and published the "Railway Development Strategy 2000" in the following year, again proposing to develop the East Kowloon Line and connect it across the sea, "to provide a strategic railway corridor to East Rail, in line with the development of Southeast Kowloon, and increasing the passenger capacity of the cross-harbour railway line.”
After fifty-two years, this cross-sea railway has finally been completed, but its alignment is beyond recognition.
(file picture)
However, the subsequent development, we all know.
First, in 2002, the KCRC won the bid for the Sha-Central Line project. The alignment was roughly the same as the proposal in "Strategy 2000". The former was chosen between Ho Man Tin or Gillies Road. Crossing the sea via Hung Hom to the Convention and Exhibition, Admiralty arrived at Central West, and The line section connects to the Ma On Shan Line in Tai Wai to the north, expanding the target range of potential sea-crossing passengers.
Then, because the MTR Corporation did not cooperate with the transfer arrangement at Admiralty Station, the Government and KCRC changed to study the use of the East Rail to cross the sea.
After that, the two railways reached a consensus on the merger in 2006, and the plan of the SCL was also revised to become what it is today. The original East Kowloon Line was changed to connect the West Rail Line in Hung Hom, becoming a 56-kilometer-long railway with a total of 27 stations. The Horse Line and the East Rail Line cross the sea at Hung Hom and arrive at Admiralty via the convention and exhibition, and the Central West Station is placed in a high pavilion.
After fifty-two years, this cross-sea railway has finally been completed, but its alignment is beyond recognition.
"Strategy 2000" once said to "relieve the East Rail and meet the development of Southeast Kowloon". Now that the cross-sea section is extended by the East Rail Line, it will certainly not divert East Rail passengers, and it is doubtful whether it can meet the needs of Southeast Kowloon.
In fact, the cross-sea railway should not only play a role in diverting traffic and relieve the bearing capacity of the existing line sections, but also help to balance the development layout, so that economic activities will not be overly concentrated...
For details, please read the 317th issue of "Hong Kong 01" Electronic Weekly Newsletter (May 16, 2022) "
Fifty-two years of sharpening a sword - the fourth cross-sea railway
".
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