The Chief Executive in Council today (April 8) authorised the railway scheme of the Northern Link (NOL) Main Line in accordance with the Railways Ordinance (Cap. 519).
Taking into account the pace of developments along the NOL, the NOL project is implemented in two phases. Phase 1 involves the construction of the Kwu Tung (KTU) Station above the tunnel structure of the existing Lok Ma Chau Spur Line of the East Rail Line (EAL). The construction works of the KTU Station project commenced in September 2023 with target completion in 2027 to tie in with the intake of major new population of Kwu Tung North New Development Area. Phase 2 is the NOL Main Line, which involves the construction of a 10.7-kilometre railway connecting the existing Kam Sheung Road (KSR) Station of the Tuen Ma Line (TML) and the KTU Station, with three intermediate stations at Au Tau, Ngau Tam Mei and San Tin. The detailed planning and design of the NOL Main Line have been substantially completed, and the advance works have also commenced. The target is to complete the works of the Main Line by 2034.
A Government spokesperson said, "The NOL Main Line will become the main transportation backbone of the Northern Metropolis, unleashing the development potential of land along the railway. It will also connect the existing TML and the EAL, forming a railway loop linking up the New Territories and the Kowloon urban area, substantially improving the connections of the existing railway network. When the NOL Main Line comes into operation, the expected travel time between KSR Station and KTU Station is expected to be substantially reduced from the current 60 to 80 minutes during peak hours to about 12 minutes."
"The Government and the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) have collected public views on the NOL Main Line project through various channels earlier, including consulting the North District Council and the Yuen Long District Council, exchanging views with relevant rural committees and stakeholders and organising various publicity activities in the community. The public is generally supportive of the NOL Main Line project," the spokesman added.
The original scheme of the NOL Main Line was gazetted on October 6, 2023, with two subsequent amendments. The first amendment and correction to the scheme was gazetted on May 3, 2024, and the second amendment to the scheme was gazetted on August 30, 2024. In respect of the objections received, the Government together with the MTRCL has carefully studied the grounds of each opinion, and met with the objectors to explain the railway scheme and respond to their concerns. All of the unwithdrawn objections have been submitted to the Executive Council for consideration.
"During the implementation of the NOL Main Line project, the MTRCL will continue to maintain close communication with relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, the MTRCL is also required to comply with the conditions set out in the environmental permit issued by the Director of Environmental Protection to mitigate the environmental impacts of the works," the spokesman said.
Ends/Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Issued at HKT 17:08