The new East Kowloon railway line, expected to be completed by 2033, should target more residents in nearby areas with affordable fares, a lawmaker and a district councillor have said, after Hong Kong authorities revealed further details about the project.
In his 2023 policy address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced the plan to introduce a smart and green mass transit system in the eastern part of Kowloon for tens of thousands of inhabitants to use.
Transport authorities submitted a paper to the Kwun Tong District Council earlier this week with new details about the timeline and the locations of the nine stations. Further discussions are expected to take place on Monday next week.
Lawmaker Bill Tang Ka-piu from the Federation of Trade Unions said on Thursday that the planning of the new railway line was better than expected, but there was still room for further improvements.
He added that no stations were covering a long distance between Lam Tin North and Yau Tong East.
“There is nearly 1km of tunnel section [in the area], which passes through highly populated communities such as Kwong Tin Estate, Hong Nga Court, and Hong Pak Court, and some newly built public estates,” he told a radio programme.
