The Hong Kong government will adopt a smart and green mass transit system instead of heavy rail for the South Island line extension – a major development for a project that has been under consideration for the past decade.
The extension of the South Island line between Wong Chuk Hang station and HKU station will form a loop in the central and western parts of Hong Kong Island, according to the Transport and Logistics Bureau’s proposal on Monday.
The bureau said the 7.5km (4.7-mile) extension would serve 130,000 residents in Aberdeen, Wah Fu, Cyberport and Pok Fu Lam and the travel time between Wong Chuk Hang and the University of Hong Kong would be 20 minutes.
It said the smart and green mass transit system would be of a medium carrying capacity, running primarily on dedicated elevated viaducts, which would be separated from and not affected by existing road traffic.
“Due to the hilly terrains, a section of the alignment from Queen Mary Hospital to the University of Hong Kong is preliminarily proposed to adopt tunnel form,” it said.
The authorities aim to start detailed planning and design in 2025 for the alignment and costs of the project before commencing construction work in 2027. The timetable is also aligned with the redevelopment of the public Wah Fu Estate.
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