South Island Line reaches first major milestone
The new rail line will reach Ocean Park from Admiralty Station in four minutes.
The first major milestone of the South Island Line (East) project was reached on Monday with a ceremony marking the structural completion of the Ocean Park Station, the first of five stations on the new line.
Jay Walder, CEO of the MTR Corporation said the new rail line would unlock the south side of the island by providing a new transport connection in a fraction of the time of road access.
The journey time from Admiralty to Ocean Park will be four minutes, with trains running every three minutes. The line is scheduled to open in late 2015.
Electrical and mechanical work will begin immediately in the elevated station building, linked directly to Ocean Park by a raised walkway. Contoured blue, glass panelling will cover the building exterior in an ocean theme.
Allan Zeman, the Chairman of Ocean Park said he expected the new MTR line would bring a 10 to 15 per cent rise in visitor numbers.
The new line will provide the 272,900 residents of the Southern District with an alternative transport option and reduce traffic at congested access points such as the Aberdeen tunnel.