Hong Kong’s rail terminus goes ahead

With a total area of over 380,000 square meters, the multi-storey West Kowloon rail terminus, the majority of it located underground, will be larger than most airport terminals, and capable of handling around 99,000 passengers per day. The first trains are expected to run from 2015. The Hong Kong section of the express rail link, operating at up to 200 km per hour, will connect Hong Kong with the capital Beijing over 2,000 kilometers away, passing via Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Wuhan.
October 5, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
With a total area of over 380,000 square meters, the multi-storey West Kowloon rail terminus, the majority of it located underground, will be larger than most airport terminals, and capable of handling around 99,000 passengers per day.

The first trains are expected to run from 2015. The Hong Kong section of the express rail link, operating at up to 200 km per hour, will connect Hong Kong with the capital Beijing over 2,000 kilometers away, passing via Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Wuhan.

A safety glass and steel roof structure spans the building and provides daylight to the terminus with its duty-free shops, restaurants and waiting lounges; the design was a winner in the 2010 World Architecture Festival and also won a 2012 MIPIM Award.

Eighty-one escalators and moving walks will transport travellers and visitors throughout the new terminus and to the station's fifteen platforms. An eco-friendly energy saving system reduces the speed whenever there are no passengers. Depending on passenger volumes this can create energy savings of up to 60%.

Related Content

  • Kenya WIM system cuts four days off journey times
    March 18, 2014
    Shem Oirere looks at how weigh-in-motion is helping to streamline the trucking industry in Kenya. Kenya, East Africa’s largest economy, is streamlining trucking operations on its section of the 8,800km Northern Corridor. It is both reducing the number of weighbridges and automating the remaining ones in an effort to improve efficiency and eliminate corruption.The Northern Corridor is a major gateway through Kenya to the landlocked countries of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Sou
    Read More
  • EIB backing for London transport
    September 15, 2015
    The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to provide US$1.5 billion for investment in the London transport network. The 35 year loan from Europe’s long-term lending institution will support major projects, including significant upgrades by Transport for London (TfL) at Victoria and Bank Tube stations, which will transform passenger access at two of the busiest stations in the capital. The new support was announced by Jonathan Taylor, vice president of the European Investment Bank and Steve Allen, ma
    Read More
  • Indra to implement high speed rail traffic management system
    September 8, 2014
    State Turkish Rail (TCDD) has awarded Indra a US$55 million contract to implement a planning system for its entire rail network, together with a high-speed train management system. Indra will set up a new control centre in Ankara, equipped with cutting-edge technology, which will carry out operational planning for the country's 12,000 kilometre rail network, both conventional lines and high-speed tracks. In addition, Indra’s DaVinci rail traffic management system will support comprehensive high-speed
    Read More
  • ITS asset management matters
    April 26, 2013
    Maintenance of on-road ITS kit needs to become more sophisticated; while new technologies can deliver better road maintenance. David Crawford investigates both sides of the issue "Good information is key to effective ITS asset maintenance,” says Ian Routledge of the Ian Routledge Consultancy (IRC), whose Imtrac (Information Management for TRAffic Control) system is poised for European expansion. Developed as an ‘intelligent filing cabinet’ for storing information about on-road equipment, the online database
    Read More

Highlighted Content