After 10 years' planning, design, and construction, the opening of the Lok Ma Chau spur line on 15 August 2007 marked the completion of the former KowloonCanton Railway Corporation's East Rail extension projects.
Our involvement includes 11 km of mostly elevated railway and a 6ha maintenance and repair depot for the Ma On Shan line, 7.4km of elevated and tunnelled route for the Lok Ma Chau spur line, and a 1 km underground extension of the existing line from Hung Hom to East Tsim Sha Tsui. Arup provided specialist fire safety strategy for all the Ma On Shan line stations, to multidisciplinary planning, design, and construction supervision, and, on the Lok Ma Chau spur line, direct work for a design/build contractor.
At East Tsim Sha Tsui station we worked closely with the KCRC and numerous government departments to re-provide two public recreation spaces - Middle Road Children's playground at the foot of the historic Signal Hill, and Wing On Plaza garden - examples that show the importance of environmental issues for the KCRC in expanding Hong Kong's railway network.