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Residents and district councillors  took to the street yesterday to protest at the lack of action on the long-awaited MTR extension to Kennedy Town.

More than 30 people gathered outside the Legislative Council demanding the government put an end to their  wait for a rail service.

The chairman of Central and Western District Council, Chan Tak-chor,  said  residents' views  had been ignored for 20 years.

The MTR's Island Line from Chai Wan in the east ended at Admiralty when it opened in May 1985. It was extended to Sheung Wan a year later.

The latest protest followed a decision by Legco's transport panel in May urging the government to shelve  further study of the MTR Corp's proposed Western and Southern Island lines.

The two  lines would form a loop, with the West Island line running between Sheung Wan through Cyberport to Wong Chuk Hang and the South Island line  from Admiralty to South Horizons.

The $15 billion project could cost the government $7.5 billion in subsidies for the MTRC.

Western Island district councillors joined ranks to fight for the Western Island line  after the May decision. Their next  action will be a march  on October 16 from Sheung Wan to Kennedy Town.

Chanting slogans in support of a train service, Lui Ah-bing, 67, a Kennedy Town resident for 35 years, said: 'When we first started talking about the railway's extension, my son was studying at primary school. Now he is 34.'

An MTRC spokeswoman said it was working with the government to come up with a desirable plan  for  extending the service.



Residents demand action on line