CHINA: The Hong Kong government’s Highways Department and a consortium of Arup & Partners and Asia Infrastructure Solutions signed HK$262·5m contract on July 22 covering detailed planning and design for what is branded a Smart & Green Mass Transit System to serve east Kowloon.
The 3½-year detailed project development phase will include input from Knight Frank Petty, KTA Planning and China Design Group.
The government aims to call tenders for construction in 2026 and award contracts in 2027, enabling the line to open by 2033.
The line would follow much of the alignment of the East Kowloon Line proposed in 2014. From Choi Hung East the 7 km route would run on viaduct southeast to Ma Yau Tong before turning south to reach Yau Tong East via a 1 km tunnel. There would be six intermediate stops, with a depot at Ma Yau Tong.
The district’s population of over 300 000 people is poorly-served by public transport due to challenging terrain. Severe gradients on the proposed alignment mean that instead of a heavy metro, the line is likely to use a trackless guideway with driverless vehicles.
