What is set to become Hong Kong’s longest railway line – connecting the east and west New Territories – is set to open next month.
The government has announced that two new MTR stations – Sung Wong Toi and To Kwa Wan – will open on June 27 connecting the existing West Rail Line and Phase 1 of Tuen Ma Line to complete a 56-kilometre long line that runs through 27 stations from Tuen Mun to Wu Kai Sha.
During rush hour, there will be a train every three minutes, Secretary for Transport Frank Chan said on Friday.
Both stations will have four lifts and 10 escalators. The four exits in the To Kwa Wan station connect Lok Shan Road and To Kwa Wan Market, while the Sung Wong Toi station connects Sung Wong Toi Playground and Nam Kok Road.
During construction a large amount of historical relics from the Sung-Yuen dynasty were found at the site of Sung Wong Toi station, causing construction costs to increase by HK$4.1 billion.
According to the MTR “archaeological elements” have been included in the design of the station.
The opening of the line was initially schedule for December 2018, but was delayed because of the discovery of the relics, as well as construction scandals in multiple stations. In one case, steel bars at the Hung Hom station expansion were found to have been improperly installed.
Chan said that the attitude of the government was very clear and that the administration would not simply meet the increased costs due to “imperfect management.”
