Responding to media enquiries tonight on the Sha Tin to Central Link, the Environment, Transport & Works Bureau said timing for the project will remain unchanged.

The link is one of the rail projects recommended in the Railway Development Strategy 2000, and was awarded to the KCRC.

The KCRC is studying various options on how to improve the transport performance of the link, including the option of extending the East Rail across the harbour. The KCRC is now reviewing the link proposal with a view to finalising it by early 2004.

The bureau said no decision has been made on any changes to the original proposal. The Legislative Council and the public will be consulted in the normal manner after KCRC has completed its review.

It is necessary for KCRC to revisit and validate the various project assumptions and planning parameters, including population forecasts, originally made in the preliminary design of the link to ensure the final scheme meets demand. This is no different from other major projects being planned, the bureau said.

The option for the East Rail crossing the harbour is only one of the alternatives now being investigated.

Despite the additional work to institute further planning and validation, the link is scheduled for completion within the window of 2008 to 2011 as recommended in the strategy. A more definite completion date will emerge after the completion of the scheme review.