Move faster on elevated Kai Tak mass transit system and consider extension, Hong Kong authorities urged

Hong Kong authorities should speed up tendering and construction of an elevated mass transit system in Kai Tak and consider extending it to East Kowloon to invigorate the area, local politicians have said, with the government earlier ruling out any extension.

The government is proposing to build a 3.5km elevated smart mass transit system in Kai Tak, site of the city’s former airport, with five stations and a journey time of 10 minutes, according to a paper submitted by the Civil Engineering and Development Department to Kowloon City District Council.

Hong Kong to get moving on transit projects with expressions of interest in 2024

The proposed five-stop system will run above ground along Shing Fung Road via Kai Tak MTR station, Kai Tak Sports Park, which houses a 50,000-seat stadium, Metro Park, a residential belt in the former runway area, and the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.

The government had considered connecting the system to Kowloon East, but dismissed the move as unsustainable because of the high cost of construction and technical constraints caused by the neighbouring densely developed areas, the paper said.

The department said the system would be a cost-effective option with relatively simple power support systems as overhead cables were not necessary, adding the project would go to tender in 2026 with the contract being approved in 2027. The proposal will be discussed at Thursday’s district council meeting.

The government plans to invite suppliers or operators to submit expressions of interest for the project later this year to finalise the details, including tender conditions.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced in his policy address last October that the project, previously shelved, would be revived after taking systems such as the “SkyShuttle”, “Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit” and “Bus Rapid Transit” into consideration.

It is a revival of a shelved project as part of a possible mix of mass transit systems for the 320-hectare (791-acre) district.

Kowloon City district councillor Cheung King-fan called on the authorities to consider extending the route to East Kowloon in the future and reserve room in planning for building links to other areas such as Kwun Tong and Yau Tong.

“We hope that apart from the five stations in Kai Tak, the government will consider in the future extending the route to East Kowloon, such as to Kwun Tong and Yau Tong and also the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital in Ngau Tau Kok, for serving more people,” he said.

“The government should make full use of the system and provide greater convenience for people.”

Cheung also urged the authorities to speed up the tendering and construction process to push for faster completion as the government estimated that the project might only be finished in 2031 or 2032.

“We are all eager to see the project completed and hope to enjoy its convenience as soon as possible. The government needs to see how to speed up the process,” he said.

Hong Kong ‘will revive monorail plan, propose fixes’ for Kai Tak transport woes

Lawmaker Frankie Ngan Man-yu of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) agreed, saying the government should consider extending the route to East Kowloon to energise Kai Tak’s economy.

“The link to East Kowloon is necessary to invigorate the economy of Kai Tak as this can bring visitors to other areas via the MTR stations,” he said.

“The construction time should also be shortened to two years based on the experience of mainland China which can deliver the system in one year’s time. I envisage the project can be completed before 2030.”

The government in 2020 scrapped plans for a monorail connecting Kai Tak, Kwun Tong and Kowloon Bay after spending 11 years and HK$90 million (US$11.5 million) on feasibility studies.

The authorities, which estimated a decade earlier that the project would cost HK$12 billion, said creating a single elevated rail system would be “severely constrained by the adjacent congested developments, very costly and not financially viable”.

Instead, the government later proposed having a mix of electric vehicles for new bus and minibus routes, a network of moving walkways and promenades, open spaces for pedestrians and cyclists, and an elevated landscape deck connecting to Kwun Tong MTR station.

Ambitious plans for the Kai Tak development included creating a new business district with homes, offices and shops, green spaces, a sports and leisure hub and cruise centre.

The SkyShuttle train system is built by Shenzhen-based electric vehicle maker BYD Auto while the Sichuan province-based Zhong Tang Sky Railway Group, whose Sky Trains have been running in Chengdu since 2016, also expressed interest.