The MTR Corporation has signed project agreements with Hong Kong Government for the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of Kwu Tung Station on the East Rail Line (KTU(EAL)) and the Tuen Mun South Extension (TME). Following the commencement of work on the Tung Chung Line Extension in May this year, KTU(EAL) and TME are the next railway projects to start construction.

According to MTR, KTU(EAL) and TME will be funded by financial contributions from the ‘Rail plus Property’ development model. Tendering for the major work contracts of the KTU(EAL) and TME projects will be completed soon. Both projects will then enter the construction stage for target completion in 2027 and 2030 respectively.

Together with the Tung Chung Line Extension, KTU(EAL) and TME are part of a series of mass transit infrastructures that MTR is constructing for the future of Hong Kong. The two new railway projects will involve construction works on the operating railways, with KTU(EAL) having a more complex process based on the design of the relevant East Rail Line section.

KTU(EAL) will be located in the town centre of the future Kwu Tung North New Development Area (KTN NDA), situated between the Lok Ma Chau Station and Sheung Shui Station on the East Rail Line. It will be the major public transportation hub in the area, providing efficient and convenient railway services for the existing and future residents living in the KTN NDA.

MTR said that KTU(EAL) will be an underground station and it is the first new station in Hong Kong to be built on top of an operating railway tunnel. While maintaining the daily railway operation, MTR will implement meticulous work planning and adopt innovations and new technologies to take the project forward.

TME comprises the extension of the Tuen Ma Line southward by approximately 2.4 km from Tuen Mun Station via a viaduct and the construction of two new stations, including an intermediate station at Area 16 and a new terminal station at Tuen Mun South near the Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal. TME will provide direct railway connectivity to the Tuen Mun South community, serving the transport needs of commuters living and working in the area.

As TME will be constructed in the well-developed Tuen Mun South community, MTR will aim to minimise potential work impacts to the neighbourhood. Through re-provisioning and upgrading of some existing community facilities, it is expected that the living standard of the local community would be enhanced upon completion of the work.

“Along with the signing of the project agreements and construction commencement of the Tung Chung Line Extension project earlier, the KTU(EAL) and TME projects are also reaching a new milestone. The corporation looks forward to continuing to expand and enhance the railway network to facilitate the city’s long-term sustainable development, drive economic growth and build thriving and prosperous communities with the railway as the backbone, putting into practice the vision of ‘Go Beyond Boundaries’ with new railway services,” said Dr Jacob Kam, CEO of MTR Corporation.

All images: MTR Corporation