Gung Ho in Hong Kong

The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) has scooped one of Hong Kong's largest rail schemes – the US$3bn Central to Sha Tin line (T&TI, March '02).

The award by the Hong Kong Government was greeted with delight by tunnelling contractors and consultants as virtually the entire 20km route lies underground.

The railway will run from the Central business district on Hong Kong Island under Victoria Harbour to Kowloon and terminating at Tai Wai in Hong Kong's New Territories.

KCRC was tipped for the deal last November, following rumours that it offered a better financing package than its sole rival, the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC). But it was not approved by the Executive Council, until June 2002.

KCRC and MTRC had just six months to prepare their bids, which were submitted in July 2001, but the government took 11 months to choose the operator.

Atkins China led one of the three engineering teams that prepared the bid. The firm was responsible for sketch design and associated work for the section between Diamond Hill via Hung Hom and a fourth crossing to Hong Kong Island.

Australia's Meinhardt covered the portion from the harbour crossing portal, while Mott Connell designed the section from Tai Wai and Sha Tin to Diamond Hill.

KCRC will confirm the scope of the project later this year and investigate the inclusion of three additional underground stations at Whampoa, Tsz Wan Shan and Hin Keng in Kowloon, originally part of the MTRC's bid. KCRC also proposed an extra station in Central.

Preliminary and detailed design is set to start next year ready for construction to begin in 2004 with completion possibly by 2008.

KCRC's other rail project is a 4.3km long rail tunnel as part of the US$1.3bn Sheung Shui-Lok Ma Chau spur. Tenders, to be submitted this month, have been invited from: Dragages (France); Nishimatsu (Japan); Leighton Contractors Asia of Australia in association with Japan's Kumagai Gumi; and Chun Wo Construction & Engineering/China Rail Construction Corporation JV and Impregilo (Italy).

Work includes the construction of twin tunnels between Sheung Shui and Chau Tau, with ventilation buildings, cross passages and enabling works for a future station.

Dragages is favourite as it owns the EPBM KCRC wants to use on the project. The winning contractor will be chosen in September or October, with construction to start in November or December.

Not to be outdone, MTRC has contracted Gammon Skanska to build a single bore tunnel as part of the 3.2km long US$256M Penny's Bay rail link. The contract calls for the design and construction of the Tai Yam Teng tunnel using cut and cover and drill and blast techniques. UK-based Arup leads the team on the railway detailed design.

MTRC confirmed that its 12.5km, US$2.3bn Tseung Kwan O rail line, with extensive tunnelling in Hong Kong's eastern New Territories, will open four months ahead of schedule, with a construction cost reduction of 40%, on 18 August.

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