The subway company awarded the Arup Aecom joint venture a contract to provide preliminary design consultants to start the planning and design of the main line of the North Loop Line project. The award of the contract marks an important step forward for the North Loop Project. The North Loop will support overall development and strengthen connectivity within the region.

The scope of the consultancy contract includes the development of the plan into an engineering design, the preparation of a construction plan, a gazetted plan and project cost estimation, as well as liaison with government departments and other stakeholders. The Arup Aecom joint venture will work closely with the company's capital engineering team to provide these studies. In December 2020, the Hong Kong government invited the MTR to carry out the detailed planning and design of the Northern Link Project, including the construction of the Kowloon East Station and the 10.7 km railway connection between the existing Kam Sheung Road (KSR) Station and the KCRC Station on the West Rail line.

The Kowloon-Canton Line Station will be constructed along the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line between Luo Shui Station and Lok Ma Chau Station. The new line will connect the Jinshang Road Station and Xinwudong Station of the Tunma Line through three intermediate stations of Sandian, Ngao Tanmei and Aotou. The subway will implement this plan in two phases. The first phase involves the construction of the KTU station. The main function of the Kowloon-Canton Station is to serve the traffic needs of the Jiudong New Development Zone. After the development zone is fully developed, it can accommodate 119,700 people and 33,300 jobs. After the KTU station is put into use, it will be convenient for residents in the area to use the railway transportation system and shorten the time required for travel.

In April 2021, the MTR awarded a design consultancy contract to Offalu Popularity partner Hong Kong Co., Ltd. for the detailed planning and design of Kuidong Station. The first phase of the project is expected to start in 2023 and is expected to be completed in 2027. In the second phase, the MTR will construct a trunk line connecting the East Rail Line and the West Rail Line, forming a rail link between the New Territories and Kowloon, which will greatly improve the traffic connection between the East and West of the New Territories. The trunk line will provide alternative transportation options for nearby residents, reduce the travel time of the existing population, and the additional population that will be brought about by the development along the line in the future.

Keywords: overseas engineering, international engineering construction, foreign engineering construction news

The main trunk line of the North Loop is expected to start construction in 2025 and is expected to be completed in 2034. Editor/XuNing