Hong Kong ‘will revive elevated transit project, propose solutions’ for Kai Tak transport woes as firms eye contract
- Intense competition expected among Hong Kong, mainland companies to build East Kowloon transport network
- Monorail plan scrapped in 2020, but project on track to return amid mounting calls for better public transport in Kai Tak, source says
The Hong Kong government is acting to fix public transport woes across the massive Kai Tak development and will revive a mothballed elevated transit project alongside other options, the Post has learned.
Competition to build the system likely to cost billions of Hong Kong dollars is expected to be intense, with at least four locally based companies and possibly two more from mainland China vying for the contract, according to an industry insider.
The source said the government would announce details soon, bringing back the shelved project as part of a possible mix of mass transit systems for the 320-hectare (791 acres) district.
“The elevated transport plan will be revived as an added feature on top of the proposed multi-modal system which links up railway stations and public transport interchanges in the district,” the source said.
“The government is open to different options of mass transit systems, taking into account the construction, cost-effectiveness, passenger carrying capacity and other factors,” the insider said, explaining there was no preferred choice.
The SkyShuttle train system built by Shenzhen-based electric vehicle maker BYD Auto could be an option, but the source said the government would also welcome other viable proposals.
The Sichuan province-based Zhong Tang Sky Railway Group, whose Sky Trains have been running in Chengdu since 2016, has also expressed interest.