The Executive Council has approved the draft Kowloon Southern Link Project Agreement, which sets out the rights and obligations of the Government and the KCRC in financing, designing, constructing and operating the project.

The draft is based on the West Rail Project Agreement executed in 1998 and the East Rail Extensions Project Agreement executed in 2003.

The highlights include:

* fixing the scope of works of the Kowloon Southern Link project, which the KCRC plans, designs and constructs at its own cost;

* providing that where property developments are to be undertaken at the Kowloon Southern Link West Kowloon Station, the KCRC will undertake such developments;

* requiring the KCRC to work in accordance with a programme to ensure the project will be completed on time;

* covering land matters in relation to the project; and,

* obliging the KCRC to comply with all environmental protection requirements.

Convenient link

The Kowloon Southern Link project is one of the railway projects recommended for implementation in the Railway Development Strategy 2000.

At 3.8km in length, it will extend the West Rail from Nam Cheong Station in Sham Shui Po to the East Tsim Sha Tsui Station, which connects to the Hung Hom Station, providing an efficient east-west rail link in south Kowloon.

On completion in 2009, at a cost of $8.3 billion, the link will offer North-West New Territories residents better access to urban Kowloon areas without the need for  railway interchange. The travelling time from Tin Shui Wai to Tsim Sha Tsui East will be about 30 minutes.