Designing Hong Kong E-Newsletter: Thursday, 17 September 2009

Building South Island Line underground does NOT delay completion

An Engineering Report published today claims that building the South Island Line underground will not delay completion of the project.

The Engineering Report has been prepared for Designing Hong Kong by engineers with detailed knowledge of the project. It shows that an underground rail between Nam Fung Road and South Horizons can be completed within the time needed to build the connection between Nam Fung Road and Admiralty.

The report also clarifies that concerns raised by the MTR and the Government in their “Progress Report on the South Island Line (East) to the Legislative Council Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways under the Panel on Transport” are invalid.

The Engineering Report has been submitted today to the Secretary for Transport and the Legislative Council. Following are some of the key conclusions.

The underground rail does NOT delay the South Island Line railway project.

The critical factor is the design of the Depot in Wong Chuk Hang. Government claims that it will need to lower the land which involves the excavation of one million cubic metres of hard rock. The Engineering Report explains that there is no need to lower the Depot by adopting an alternative design used, among others, in Singapore.

Surprisingly, studies published by the MTR never reviewed this option.

The MTR did not disclose this option because it wants to build the cheapest possible rail solution. The MTR will pay for the construction of the South Island Line from their property development in Wong Chuk Hang and next to Ocean Park.

Only an underground rail can solve the noise and visual impact for the autistic children and home for the aged.

The Engineering Report explains that there will ultimately be THREE viaducts in front of the Rehab: two for the South Island Line (East) and one for the South Island Line (West) (Aberdeen and Pok Fu Lam).

The location of these viaducts is fixed because of the risk of damaging the main Hong Kong Electric cables to Lamma which run along the Wong Chuk Hang Nullah and Heung Yip Road.

There is NO room to move the elevated viaducts away from the Rehab in Wong Chuk Hang. However, an underground rail avoids all risks to Hong Kong's electricity supply, and removes the viaducts from the Rehab entirely.

The elevated rail will delay the future South Island Line (West) through Aberdeen and Pok Fu Lam.

The MTR is ignoring the impact of the elevated rail option on the construction of the South Island Line West. No studies have been published on connecting the elevated station in Wong Chuk Hang with the future underground station in Aberdeen. Engineers have identified that this is near impossible due to site constraints.

The underground rail will make the future implementation of the South Island Line West easier, cheaper and faster.

Close to 400 residents have so far signed letters supporting the South Island Line underground and confirming that they don't mind a delay in completion!

Those who have not signed were concerned by the threat of a delay in completion of the rail project. The Engineering Report now shows that this threat is false.

Deadline for objections under the Railway Ordinance is 22 September 2009.

Click here to object to the elevated railway and to support building the South Island Line underground
http://www.designinghongkong.com/southerndistrict/letter/

Website of the Southern District Sustainable Development Concern Group
http://www.designinghongkong.com/southerndistrict/eng/

Press release 17 September 2009
http://www.designinghongkong.com/southerndistrict/eng/?p=175

Progress Report to the Legislative Council on the South Island Line (East) by the Transport and Housing Bureau, September 2009
http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr08-09/english/panels/tp/tp_rdp/papers/tp_rdp0917cb1-2582-3-e.pdf

South Island Line: Engineering Report Comparing the Elevated and Underground Options, 17 September 2009
http://www.designinghongkong.com/southerndistrict/eng/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/South-Island-Line-Engineering-Report-by-Designing-Hong-Kong.pdf

Submission letter to Government 17 September 2009
http://www.designinghongkong.com/southerndistrict/eng/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Submission-to-LegCo-re-Underground-SIL-by-Designing-Hong-Kong-Sept-09.pdf

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	Building South Island Line underground does NOT delay completion An Engineering Report published today claims that building the South Island Line underground will not delay completion of the project. The Engineering Report has been prepared for Designing Hong Kong by engineers with detailed knowledge of the project. It shows that an underground rail between Nam Fung Road and South Horizons can be completed within the time needed to build the connection between Nam Fung Road and Admiralty. The report also clarifies that concerns raised by the MTR and the Government in their “Progress Report on the South Island Line (East) to the Legislative Council Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways under the Panel on Transport” are invalid. The Engineering Report has been submitted today to the Secretary for Transport and the Legislative Council. Following are some of the key conclusions. The underground rail does NOT delay the South Island Line railway project. The critical factor is the design of the Depot in Wong Chuk Hang. Government claims that it will need to lower the land which involves the excavation of one million cubic metres of hard rock. The Engineering Report explains that there is no need to lower the Depot by adopting an alternative design used, among others, in Singapore. Surprisingly, studies published by the MTR never reviewed this option. The MTR did not disclose this option because it wants to build the cheapest possible rail solution. The MTR will pay for the construction of the South Island Line from their property development in Wong Chuk Hang and next to Ocean Park. Only an underground rail can solve the noise and visual impact for the autistic children and home for the aged. The Engineering Report explains that there will ultimately be THREE viaducts in front of the Rehab: two for the South Island Line (East) and one for the South Island Line (West) (Aberdeen and Pok Fu Lam). The location of these viaducts is fixed because of the risk of damaging the main Hong Kong Electric cables to Lamma which run along the Wong Chuk Hang Nullah and Heung Yip Road. There is NO room to move the elevated viaducts away from the Rehab in Wong Chuk Hang. However, an underground rail avoids all risks to Hong Kong's electricity supply, and removes the viaducts from the Rehab entirely. The elevated rail will delay the future South Island Line (West) through Aberdeen and Pok Fu Lam. The MTR is ignoring the impact of the elevated rail option on the construction of the South Island Line West. No studies have been published on connecting the elevated station in Wong Chuk Hang with the future underground station in Aberdeen. Engineers have identified that this is near impossible due to site constraints. The underground rail will make the future implementation of the South Island Line West easier, cheaper and faster. Close to 400 residents have so far signed letters supporting the South Island Line underground and confirming that they don't mind a delay in completion! Those who have not signed were concerned by the threat of a delay in completion of the rail project. The Engineering Report now shows that this threat is false. Deadline for objections under the Railway Ordinance is 22 September 2009. Click here to object to the elevated railway and to support building the South Island Line underground http://www.designinghongkong.com/southerndistrict/letter/ Website of the Southern District Sustainable Development Concern Group http://www.designinghongkong.com/southerndistrict/eng/ Press release 17 September 2009 http://www.designinghongkong.com/southerndistrict/eng/?p=175 Progress Report to the Legislative Council on the South Island Line (East) by the Transport and Housing Bureau, September 2009 http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr08-09/english/panels/tp/tp_rdp/papers/tp_rdp0917cb1-2582-3-e.pdf South Island Line: Engineering Report Comparing the Elevated and Underground Options, 17 September 2009 http://www.designinghongkong.com/southerndistrict/eng/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/South-Island-Line-Engineering-Report-by-Designing-Hong-Kong.pdf Submission letter to Government 17 September 2009 http://www.designinghongkong.com/southerndistrict/eng/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Submission-to-LegCo-re-Underground-SIL-by-Designing-Hong-Kong-Sept-09.pdf