TRANSIT DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG. PART 10: DREAMS, SCHEMES AND CASUALTIES

This final paper in the author's series on public rail transport in Hong Kong reviews systems which: (1) have closed; (2) were conceived but never built; (3) still remain at the planning or concept stage. These railway lines and systems include: (1) the Kowloon-Canton Railway's narrow-gauge branch and certain parts of its main line; (2) lines built to serve quarries; (3) temporary lines used for reservoir and reclamation construction; (4) railways serving port facilities; (5) various proposed monorail systems, of which only one small line was built; (6) aerial ropeways, of which only one, the Ocean Park Cable Car, opened in 1977, now operates successfully; (7) a small funicular railway , opened in 1990; (8) a proposed system of escalators and moving walkways, due to start construction by the end of 1990; (9) various proposals for automated guideway transit; (10) guided buses and trolley buses; (11) tramways and light railways, of which only Hong Kong Tramways and the Tuen Mun - Yuen Long light rail transit system are operational. Proposed future rail network developments were analysed in the Second Comprehensive Transport Study (CTS-2), which was published in May 1989 and recommended the early implementation of just three lines. Since then, there have been proposals for the Airport Railway and for several new Metroplan railways. For part 9 see IRRD 838235. (TRRL) (Author/TRRL)