Northern Link (MTR)

Proposed Hong Kong MTR railway line

Northern Link
北環綫

Overview
Other name(s)| NOL
Status|

* Phase 1: Under construction
* Phase 2: Construction expected to begin in 2025

Owner| Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
Locale| Districts: Yuen Long
Termini|

* Kwu Tung
* Kam Sheung Road

Stations| 5
Service
System| MTR
Operator(s)| MTR Corporation
History
Planned opening|

* Phase 1: 2027 (Kwu Tung station)
* Phase 2: 2034

Technical
Line length| 26 km (16 mi)
Track gauge| 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

Route map

Legend

|  |  |

|  |

| East Rail line

to Lok Ma Chau

|  |

|  | Kwu Tung      |

proposed extension

|  |

|  |

| East Rail line

to Admiralty

|  |

|  |  |

proposed spur line to Huanggang Port

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  | San Tin
|  |

|  | Ngau Tam Mei
|  |

|  | Au Tau
|  |

|  |

| Tuen Ma line

to Tuen Mun South

|  |

|  | Kam Sheung Road
|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

Pat Heung Depot

|  |

|  |

| Tuen Ma line

to Wu Kai Sha

|  |  |  |  |  |

This diagram:

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Northern Link

Traditional Chinese| 北環綫
Simplified Chinese| 北环线
| Transcriptions

Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin| Běi Huán Xiàn

The Northern Link is a proposed commuter rail / rapid transit line of the MTR[1] system of Hong Kong which would connect the Tuen Ma line and the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line of the East Rail line. The link would also serve as a connection to the border checkpoint to mainland China for passengers to and from the western New Territories.[2] The Northern Link would start at Kam Sheung Road and end at Kwu Tung, with 3 intermediate stations.

Other benefits for constructing this project are significantly shorter journey times for certain trips (for example, the Yuen Long to Fanling route would be reduced in length from 20 stations to 5), significantly reducing costs for these trips, as well as relieving the large number of passengers using the East Rail line by diverting some passengers to the Tuen Ma line.

## History

[edit]

According to the Railway Development Strategy 2014, a shuttle service between Kam Sheung Road station and Kwu Tung station spanning 10.7 km (6.6 mi) was expected to begin construction in 2018 and be inaugurated in 2023.[3]

The initial line is expected to cost HK$62 billion in December 2015 prices, with an average of HK$500 million/km.[4][5]

Development of Northern Link as mentioned in the 2021 Policy Address, which a spur line and an extension would be built (outdated)

## Phases

[edit]

The Northern Link (NOL) project is expected to consist of four phases.

### Phase 1

[edit]

See also: Kwu Tung station

Phase 1 consists of the construction and completion of Kwu Tung station that will initially serve the East Rail line after its opening, then later the Northern Link after the completion of Phase 2. It had been partially built by KCR Corporation during the construction of the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line. Construction of Kwu Tung station was approved by the government in 2022 is scheduled to commence in 2023 with completion due in 2027.[6] Construction started on September 29, 2023.[7]

The station was expected to cost HK$3.5 billion as of December 2015.[8][9] As of July 2023, the estimated cost had risen to HK$5.9 billion.[10]

### Phase 2

[edit]

Phase 2 consists of the building of the 10.7 km main line from Kam Sheung Road station to Kwu Tung station. It also includes the construction of 3 new stations (Au Tau, Ngau Tam Mei and San Tin) along with the expansion of Kam Sheung Road station to accommodate the new tracks and platforms. Planning and designing began in 2021. Construction of the mainline is planned to begin in 2025 and be completed in 2034.[11]

It is expected to cost HK$58.5 billion in December 2015 prices.[12][13]

### Northern Link Spur Line

[edit]

The 5.8 km Northern Link Spur Line starts from San Tin station and connects to San Tin Technopole, Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park before terminating at the Huanggang Port in Shenzhen. Planning and design for the line is expected to start in 2024.[14]

### Northern Link Eastern Extension

[edit]

The 9.5 km eastern extension extends eastward from Kwu Tung to Ping Che via Lo Wu South and Man Kam To.[14] Originally planned as part of the extension, the section from Heung Yuen Wai to Fanling station will form the new 8.5 km Northeast New Territories Line.[15]

## Stations

[edit]

Station Name  | Connections  | Opening date  | District

|
|
|

English  | Chinese
Phase 1
(Under construction)
Kwu Tung | 古洞 |

*      East Rail line

| 2027  | North
Phase 2
Kam Sheung Road | 錦上路 |

*      Tuen Ma line

| 20 December 2003  | Yuen Long
Au Tau  | 凹頭 | —  | 2034
Ngau Tam Mei  | 牛潭尾
San Tin  | 新田
Eastern Extension
Lo Wu South  | 羅湖南 |

*      East Rail line

| TBA  | North
Man Kam To  | 文錦渡 |

* Through Border Checkpoint:
* Wenjin: 9

Hung Lung Hang  | 恐龍坑 | —
Ping Che  | 坪輋
Northern Link Spur Line
San Tin  | 新田 | —  | 2034  | North
Chau Tau  | 洲頭 | TBA
Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park  | 港深創科園
Huanggang Port  | 皇崗口岸 |

* Through Border Checkpoint:
* Huanggang Checkpoint: 7 20

## Controversies

[edit]

### Land hoarding

[edit]

In July 2021, Liber Research Community found that developers had begun to hoard land alongside the Northern Link line, buying at least 80 hectares of land near the line.[16]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "MTR > Home".
2. ^ Legislative Council - Northern Link and Regional Express February 2006
3. ^ Railway Development Strategy 2014, Transport and Housing Bureau, Hong Kong Government
4. ^ 2023 Interim Results (PDF) (Report). MTR Corporation. 10 August 2023. p. 12. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
5. ^ Shum, Michael; Cheung, Jane (17 December 2020). "MTR Northern Link project gets go-ahead". The Standard.
6. ^ "Annual Report 2021: Excellence in Motion" (PDF). MTR Corporation. 10 March 2022. p. 25. Retrieved 9 August 2022. "A design consultant was appointed for Kwu Tung Station on the East Rail Line in April 2021, with construction targeted to commence in 2023 for completion in 2027."
7. ^ "Construction of Kwu Tung Station on the East Rail Line Commences". 29 September 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
8. ^ 2023 Interim Results (PDF) (Report). MTR Corporation. 10 August 2023. p. 12. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
9. ^ Shum, Michael; Cheung, Jane (17 December 2020). "MTR Northern Link project gets go-ahead". The Standard.
10. ^ "古洞站造價2年急升七成 田北辰：離晒大譜". 20 October 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
11. ^ "Hong Kong's planned Northern Link makes progress". 17 December 2020.
12. ^ 2023 Interim Results (PDF) (Report). MTR Corporation. 10 August 2023. p. 12. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
13. ^ Shum, Michael; Cheung, Jane (17 December 2020). "MTR Northern Link project gets go-ahead". The Standard.
14. ^ a b "Transport Infrastructure". Retrieved 7 November 2024.
15. ^ "行政長官向立法會發表《行政長官2023年施政報告》發言全文（七）". 25 October 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
16. ^ lrcresearcher. "【解剖「囤地線」】以鐵路為骨幹 撐起了誰的未來? #永續港鐵霸權 #7月專研". Liber Research Community (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 18 August 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* MTR Northern Link Project Website

* v
* t
* e

Mass Transit Railway (MTR) public transport system of Hong Kong

* List of stations
* MTR Corporation

Rail
service|

| Lines|

| Rapid transit|

*      Disneyland Resort line
*      East Rail line
*      Island line
*      Kwun Tong line
*      South Island line
*      Tseung Kwan O line
*      Tsuen Wan line
*      Tuen Ma line
*      Tung Chung line

|

Airport rail link|

*      Airport Express

Light rail|

*      Light Rail

Cross-border |

* Hong Kong Express Rail Link
* ~~Guangdong through train~~
* ~~Shanghai through train *~~
* ~~Beijing through train *~~

Under construction
or planning|

*      Northern Link
*      South Island line (West)
* North Island line
* East Kowloon line
* Full list

Rolling
stock|

| In operation|

*                  Metro Cammell EMU (DC): M-Train
*          Adtranz–CAF EMU: CAF-Train
*          Rotem EMU: K-Train
*      CNR Changchun EMU: C-Train
*      CNR Changchun EMU: S-Train
*                  CRRC Sifang EMU: Q-Train
*      SP1900/1950 EMU: IKK Train
*      CRRC Changchun EMU: TML C-Train
*      Hyundai Rotem EMU: R-Train
*      Light Rail Rolling Stock
* ~~Lok 2000, KTT~~
* CSR Sifang EMU (XRL): CRH380A

|

Retired|

*      Metro Cammell EMU (AC): MLR

Non-rail
service|

* Ngong Ping 360
* MTR Bus (Northwest New Territories)
* MTR Feeder Bus
* Airport Express Shuttle Bus

* Operated solely by trains from mainland China

* v
* t
* e

Northern Link

Future projects of the MTR

Stations|

* Kwu Tung
* San Tin
* Ngau Tam Mei
* Au Tau
* Kam Sheung Road

Stations that are proposed, under planning or under construction are shown in italics.
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