Secretary for Transport & Housing Frank Chan today said the MTR East Rail Line (EAL) cross-harbour extension helps divert passengers on other railway lines and creates a more even patronage distribution in the whole railway network.

In response to one lawmaker’s series of questions at the Legislative Council, Mr Chan said there has been a drop in patronage of the critical link in the morning peak of the Tsuen Wan Line by more than 20%, and a drop of about 10% for that of the Kwun Tong Line.

As the entire EAL is now using new nine-car trains and a new signalling system, the journey time between Sheung Shui and Hung Hom stations has been shorted by about eight minutes. The EAL’s train frequency during the morning peak has also increased from about three minutes before the commissioning of the cross-harbour extension to about 2.7 minutes now.

Separately, noting that there are clusters of passengers during a particular period of time, and at particular stations and train compartments during the morning peak, the MTRC has adopted measures to facilitate passenger flow.

For example, it implements passenger diversion measures at northern New Territories stations such as Fanling and Tai Wo stations to guide passengers to board the trains at the less crowded areas of the platform. Furthermore, the Cross-Harbour Easy display panels and Train Car Loading Indicator are used to divert passengers to less crowded railway lines and train compartments. Short-haul trips from Sha Tin and Tai Po Market stations to Admiralty station are also arranged to improve passenger flow.

When asked whether or not to introduce trains that will not run the entire railway line or cross the harbour, or provide harbour-crossing trains with additional train cars, the doors of which will remain closed, Mr Chan pointed out that if some trains do not cross the harbour during peak hours, cross-harbour passengers’ travelling time will increase.

Meanwhile, the second suggestion will increase the time for passengers moving in and out of the train cars. It may also pose safety risks as passengers may need to move along train compartments while the trains are travelling.

The Government will continue to urge the MTRC to adjust train services and arrange short-haul trips running between busy stations as needed, Mr Chan added.

As regards the long-term planning of the railway network, based on the development strategy of Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030, the Government is conducting the Strategic Studies on Railways & Major Roads beyond 2030 to explore the overall layout of the city’s railway and major road infrastructure and conduct preliminary engineering and technical assessments for the alignments and supporting facilities. The study will also review the impacts of the related transport infrastructure on the existing transport network and will formulate the corresponding strategies.

The Government plans to consolidate the preliminary study findings and commence public consultation in the second half of this year, Mr Chan said.