The design of the Express Rail Link has been completed with due consideration to minimizing the impact on nearby communities. The alignment of the Express Rail Link runs below Pat Heung, Kam Tin, San Tin and Mai Po. The Emergency Rescue Sidings and the Stabling Sidings will be built in Shek Kong. Ventilation Facilities will be built in Mai Po, Ngau Tam Mei and Pat Heung while an Emergency Access Point will be built in Tai Kong Po. A temporary magazine site will be located near Tai Shue Ha in Yuen Long for the blasting operations nearby.

In Yuen Long District, the tunnel between Ngau Tam Mei and Tai Kong Po, and the tunnel between Tse Uk Tsuen in Pat Heung and Shek Yam in Kwai Chung, will be constructed using the drill and blast method. Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) will be adopted in the remaining tunnels in Yuen Long District. The Emergency Rescue Sidings and the Stabling Sidings at Shek Kong will be constructed by the cut-and-cover method.

For more details on the railway facilities and the construction methods, please visit "Project Details – Railway Facilities" by .

For the "Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link: Drill & Blast Method" leaflet, please .

To view the video of Tunnel Boring Machines (Chinese version only), please .

For the "Express Rail Link Newsletter" (Chinese version only), please.

Mai Po Ventilation Facility Photomontage

Mai Po Ventilation Facility

Mai Po Ventilation Facility Work Site

The first TBM for the construction of XRL, "Zhao-jun（昭君）", was delivered in June 2011 and was assembled in the launching shaft at Mai Po site. "Zhao-jun", was launched on 10 August and will be used to build the section between Mai Po and Ngau Tam Mei in Yuen Long.

"Zhao-jun", the first TBM of the Express Rail Link Project.

Tai Kong Po Emergency Access Point

Hoardings have been erected to prepare for the construction of the Tai Kong Po Emergency Access Point.

The Emergency Rescue Sidings and the Stabling Sidings Work Sites.

Drill & Blast works

Qualified professionals are carrying out drill and blast works – setting out, drilling, etc.

In order to reduce the impact on road traffic along the Express Rail Link alignment, excavated spoil from the construction of the railway will be transported to designated barging points for disposal. In Tuen Mun District, two barging points will be built in Lung Kwu Sheung Tan and Siu Lam, while a magazine site will be located in So Kwun Wat.

For the "Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link: Drill & Blast Method" leaflet, please .

For the "Express Rail Link Newsletter" (Chinese version only), please.

• The site in Siu Lam and Lung Kwu Sheung Tan was occupied in March 2010 and August 2010 respectively for the construction barging point.

• As the Siu Lam Barging Point is regarded as a transitional arrangement, local residents' support and understanding is sought. The MTR Corporation has set up a committee to jointly monitor the traffic conditions at Tsing Fat Street near the Siu Lam Barging Point with District Council members and local residents.

• Construction of the temporary magazine site at So Kwun Wat in Tuen Mun started in March 2010. Storage of explosives at this magazine site will be from September 2010 to June 2013.

• Appropriate safety and protective measures will be adopted at the temporary magazine site in order to ensure public safety. The Highways Department and the MTR Corporation will maintain close contact with local residents.

Siu Lam Barging Point

Erection of hoarding and construction works of barging point have been finished at the Siu Lam Barging Point.

The design of Express Rail Link has been completed with due consideration of minimizing the impact on nearby communities. As a result, the Express Rail Link will be built underground in order to preserve the landscape and to minimize land resumption. In Tsuen Wan District, a ventilation facility will be built near Cheung Shan Estate. The alignment of the Express Rail Link in Tsuen Wan runs beneath Yau Ma Hom Resite Village, Da Chuen Ping Village, Sheung Kwai Chung Village, Cheung Shan Estate and Sam Tung Uk Resite Village. To minimize the impact on road traffic, a barging point will be constructed in Tsing Chau Tsai on Lantau Island for removal of excavated spoil by sea.

In Tsuen Wan District, the Express Rail Link tunnels will be constructed by the drill and blast method.

Express Rail Link Alignment in Tsuen Wan District

For the "Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link: Drill & Blast Method" leaflet, please.

For the "Express Rail Link Newsletter" (Chinese version only), please.

Shing Mun Ventilation Facility Photomontage

Blasting works at Cheong Wing Road - Shek Yam

Blasting started in mid-November 2010 at Cheong Wing Road site for constructing the adits connecting with the main tunnels of the Express Rail Link.

Shing Mun Ventilation Facility

Shing Mun Ventilation Facility works are in progress.

The design of the Express Rail Link has been completed with due consideration to minimizing the impact on nearby communities. In Kwai Tsing District, the alignment of the Express Rail Link runs under Castle Peak Road in order to minimize the impact on nearby buildings. However, the alignment inevitably runs beneath some buildings in Kwai Tsing District. The building structures will not be affected as the Express Rail Link tunnels will be between 35 metres and 250 metres deep beneath those buildings. A ventilation facility will be built at Wing Yip Street, Kwai Chung. The excavated spoil will be transported to the Rambler Channel Barging Point for removal.

In Kwai Tsing District, the Express Rail Link tunnels will be constructed by the drill and blast method.

For the "Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link: Drill & Blast Method" leaflet, please.

For the "Express Rail Link Newsletter" (Chinese version only), please.

• The ventilation facility, 3 to 4 storeys high, will be located at the current public outdoor carpark in Wing Yip Street, Kwai Chung. The carpark was resumed for construction from 2010.

Kwai Chung Ventilation Facility Photomontage

Barging Point Outlook (Reference Photo)

• There will inevitably be excavated spoil generated from tunnel construction. The excavated spoil will be transported to barging points for removal in order to minimize the impact on road traffic.

• The open carpark at Sun Kwai Street near the Drainage Department's Maintenance Depot was occupied as a site office and supporting site starting from March 2010.

• The Highways Department Depot at Tai Lin Pai Road was occupied as a works area starting from July 2010 for the construction of the ventilation facility.

Blasting works at Wing Yip Street / Tai Lin Pai Road

Blasting works are carrying out at Wing Yip Street / Tai Lin Pai Road site to construct the ventilation tunnels connecting with the main tunnels of the Express Rail Link.

Winning entries of the Kwai Tsing Hoarding Design Competition displayed on the hoardings at Tai Lin Pai Road/Wing Yip Street Site in Kwai Chung

The design of the Express Rail Link has been completed with due consideration of minimizing the impact on nearby communities. In Sham Shui Po District, the alignment of the Express Rail Link runs beneath Sham Mong Road at a depth of 30 metres alongside Nam Cheong Park. Construction of the tunnels in Sham Shui Po District will mainly be carried out by tunnel boring machines (TBM).

Express Rail Link - Alignment in Sham Shui Po District 1. Nam Cheong Park 2. Sham Mong Road Temporary Carpark 3. Sham Mong Road / Sham Shing Road 4. Lin Cheung Road 5. Mei Lai Road

A launching shaft and supporting site for the tunnel boring machine will be built near Nam Cheong Station. After completion of the tunnelling activities, a ventilation facility will be built at the shaft location. The temporary carpark by the side of Mei Lai Road CLP Electric Sub-station was occupied for the construction of supporting sites. In comparison with the cut and cover method, the use of tunnel boring machines will reduce the landtake at ground level, hence minimizing the impact to the community.

Nam Chong Ventilation Facility Photomontage

A barging point will be located in the existing cargo working area near Lai Chi Kok Waterfront for the removal of the excavated spoil. Spoil removal by sea will minimize impact on road traffic.

To view the video of Tunnel Boring Machines (Chinese version only), please.

For the "Express Rail Link Newsletter" (Chinese version only), please .

Sham Mong Road (near Hoi Lai Shopping Centre) Temporary Footbridge

To facilitate the construction of the Express Rail Link tunnels, the footbridge connecting Hoi Lai Shopping Centre was demolished in the first quarter of 2011. A temporary footbridge crossing Sham Mong Road and Sham Shing Road was erected before the closure of the existing footbridge and opened in December 2010 to miminize the inconvenience caused to the neighbourhood.

Nam Cheong Launching Shaft

Mei Lai Road to Hoi Ting Road Tunnels: The excavation of the launching shaft is carrying out at Nam Cheong (Site 6) for the tunnel boring machine.

Nam Cheong Property Foundation Removal and Reprovisioning

Mei Lai Road to Hoi Ting Road Tunnels – Works for removing the property foundation and reprovisioning works at Nam Cheong are in progress.

The design of the Express Rail Link has been completed with due consideration to minimizing the impact on nearby communities. In Yau Tsim Mong District, the alignment of the Express Rail Link starts from the Terminus located in West Kowloon and crosses beneath Jordan Road, adjacent to Lin Cheung Road and along Hoi Ting Road and passes beneath Tai Kok Tsui to Sham Mong Road in Sham Shui Po.

The tunnels along Hoi Wang Road will be built by tunnel boring machines while the section between the Terminus and Lai Cheung Road will be built by the cut-and-cover method. Other works of the Express Rail Link in Yau Tsim Mong district will also include construction of a retrieval shaft for the tunnel boring machine at Lai Cheung Road in Mong Kok and a ventilation facility near Lin Cheung Road.

The construction of the West Kowloon Terminus has commenced. The MTR Corporation has always placed great emphasis on site housekeeping and the strict monitoring of their projects' impact on the environment. MTR Corporation has set up noise and dust monitoring points at the buildings in the site proximity in accordance with the requirements under the Environmental Impact Assessment report.

Moreover, in accordance with the Air Pollution Control Ordinance, hoardings have been set up around the West Kowloon Terminus work site in order to prevent dust and disturbance to residents in the neighbourhood. MTR Corporation has actively co-operated with the site contractors in the management of work sites, and mitigations have therefore been enhanced. With due consideration to minimize the disturbance by dust, the frequency of water-spraying in the work sites has been increased and shelters have been installed for drilling rigs. MTR Corporation has also requested the contractors to adjust the daily work schedules. Works which may cause a relatively higher noise level are shifted to commence after 8:30 am in order to minimize disturbance to the neighbourhood.

MTR Corporation believes that with effective mitigation measures, the impact on nearby communities will be minimized. Meanwhile, the Corporation is willing to keep close communications with local residents on the issues related to the Express Rail Link project.

Barging points will be located at the waterfront at the south of the West Kowloon Cultural District. Excavated spoil from the Terminus will be transported to these barging points for removal by sea in order to minimize impact on road traffic.

To view the video of Tunnel Boring Machines (Chinese version only), please.

To view the video of the Terminus, please.

For more details on the design of the Terminus, please visit "Project Details – Railway Facilities" by.

For the "Express Rail Link Newsletter" (Chinese version only), please .

• Starting in March 2010, the Community Ambassadors Team formed by MTR Corporation has planned a series of activities including home-visits to the local residents in Tai Kok Tsui to have a more comprehensive understanding of the concerns of local residents and to provide suitable assistance.

Stage 2 Temporary Traffic Management Scheme in West Kowloon

A series of Temporary Traffic Management Schemes (TTMS) will be implemented in West Kowloon to facilitate the construction of the terminus and the underpass of the Express Rail Link Terminus. Stage 2 TTMS has been implemented since 2 January, 2011.

Barging Point Outlook

West Kowloon Terminus Approach Tunnels (South)

West Kowloon Terminus Approach Tunnels (South) works are in progress.

West Kowloon Terminus piles

West Kowloon Terminus piles works are almost completed. Excavation for the construction of Terminal Substructure is in progress.

During the construction period, a series of Temporary Traffic Management Schemes (TTMS) will be implemented in West Kowloon to facilitate the construction of the terminus and the underpass of the XRL terminus.

Stage 1 Temporary Traffic Management Scheme in West Kowloon

• Austin Road West is upgraded to a 4-lane dual carriageway and shifted to the south.
• A section of Lin Cheong Road between Jordan Road and Austin Road West is shifted to the west.

Express Rail Link Terminus Stage 1 Temporary Traffic Management
(Starting from March 2010 to 2 January 2011)

Stage 2 Temporary Traffic Management Scheme in West Kowloon

• A new 6-lane southbound carriageway (i.e. Temporary Road D1A(N)) connecting the slip roads of Western Harbour Crossing and Jordan Road is constructed.
• A new 5-lane dual carriageway (i.e. Temporary Road D1A(S)) connecting Jordan Road and Wui Cheung Road (west of Austin Station) is constructed.
• Wui Man Road is upgraded to a 4-lane dual carriageway.
• The junction among Temporary Road D1A(N), Temporary Road D1A(S) and Jordan Road is signalised.

Upon completion of the above four item of works, the section of Lin Cheung Road southbound between the slip roads of Western Harbour Crossing and Austin Road West is temporarily closed with effect on 2 January 2011 till 2015. And to facilitate the construction of the terminus and underpass of XRL, the section of Wui Cheong Road between Lin Cheong Road and Wui Man Road is permanently closed.

Express Rail Link Terminus Stage 2 Temporary Traffic Management
(Starting from 2 January 2011 to early of 2012)

Retrieval shaft at Lai Cheung Road in Mong Kok( West)

To facilitate the XRL tunnel construction, a retrieval shaft is building for the tunnel boring machine at Lai Cheung Road in Mong Kok( West).