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SCMP Editorial
Editorial
SCMP Editorial

MTR station near Science Park will serve city’s ‘superconnector’ goals

First floated in 2021, the project is part of Hong Kong’s innovation hub ambitions, and in its revised form will not affect the government’s 10-year housing target

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The land adjacent to the CUHK’s Lo Kwee-Seong Integrated Biomedical Sciences Building, where the construction of the Pak Shek Kok station on the East Rail Line is proposed, July 9. Photo: Jelly Tse
SCMP Editorial
Editorials represent the views of the South China Morning Post on the issues of the day.
It has been nearly five years since the plan for a key MTR station at Pak Shek Kok on the East Rail line was unveiled in former chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s 2021 policy address. That the project is still on the drawing board does not seem in line with the city’s reputation for getting important things done efficiently. But a revised proposal just announced is a milestone in Hong Kong’s development. To put an end to the long delay, the government has taken the new approach of building the station first and allowing MTR Corporation to build private housing nearby, instead of the more complex private-public mix.

The station is pivotal to the connectivity of a technological, science and innovation hub integral to Hong Kong’s future as a “superconnector” economy. It is expected to open as early as 2033, with construction to begin in 2028. The Hong Kong Science and Technology Park’s lack of sufficient transport connectivity has been criticised for years.

Under the revised proposal, the station, originally to be built at the existing site of the Education University of Hong Kong Sports Centre, will now be closer to the Science Park and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The new stop, between the Tai Po Market and University stations, will make the Science Park more accessible by rail. The Development Bureau said the project would be financed by allowing the rail giant to build and sell private flats near the new station. The original plan called for private and public homes.

The connectivity of the new station complements the city’s broader ambition to be an innovation hub. Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, CUHK vice-chancellor and president, said the proposed station would align closely with its Area 39 project, an innovation and technology as well as teaching hub.

“The new station will enhance connectivity between CUHK, the Hong Kong Science Park and the Northern Metropolis, easing the convergence of global talent, research capabilities and innovative resources, further expanding the scope of industry-academia-research collaboration,” he said. About 24,000 people live at Pak Shek Kok, while a similar number work at the Science Park.

The decision to allow MTR Corporation to build only private flats aligns with existing private housing and community facilities in the area, but may worry public-housing advocates when the city still has a waiting time of 4.7 years for subsidised public rental or temporary housing.
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