Open Sha Tin-Central rail link in stages, lawmaker says

The MTR's 10-station Sha Tin-Central Link could be opened in stages to get around project delays caused by the discovery of thousands of relics in To Kwa Wan, where one of the stops is being built, a lawmaker says.

Michael Tien Puk-san, who chairs the Legislative Council's transport panel, cited "a very reliable source" as saying the government was inclined to preserve in situ some of the housing structures, wells and other artefacts found, which date back to the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties.

He also expected the project would now cost billions more.

But an engineer said a phased opening of the railway line was not a good idea as it would not ease traffic congestion.

The HK$64.9 billion project is being built in two stages, with the Tai Wai-Hung Hom section, covering eight stations, due for completion in 2018.

That part is already 11 months behind schedule because of the antiquities - the first of which were unearthed in late 2012 - in and around the future To Kwa Wan station. If the relics were kept in situ, the design of the station would have to be changed, causing further delay.