The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) announced today (August 16) that it has confirmed the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) is safe and in sound condition after consulting relevant government departments, and has notified the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL).
The EMSD is responsible for regulating and monitoring the safe operation of the railway system of the MTRCL. Before the commissioning of any new railway project, the EMSD and relevant government departments will conduct assessment to ascertain that the various railway systems are safe and in sound condition.
The EMSD and relevant government departments have conducted on-site inspection and approval of all safety-related systems during the testing and commissioning stage of the Hong Kong Section of the XRL. These systems include fire services systems, emergency evacuation facilities, high-speed trains, and signalling and communication systems. The EMSD has also scrutinised the emergency handling procedures prepared by the MTRCL together with the Security Bureau and relevant departments, and observed the drills and exercises conducted by the MTRCL, including the joint exercises with relevant government departments, so as to review the effectiveness of all contingency plans. The MTRCL has submitted relevant structural documents to the Buildings Department and the Highways Department. The Buildings Department and the Highways Department have inspected all relevant structural documents and conducted site inspection of works, and have confirmed that they have met the prescribed statutory standards. All relevant government departments have also confirmed that the operating systems, train compartments and station facilities can function normally.
Taking into account the above, the EMSD has confirmed the Hong Kong Section of the XRL is safe and in sound condition. The EMSD and relevant government departments will continue to supervise the MTRCL in its final preparatory works prior to the commissioning of the Hong Kong Section of the XRL in late September 2018.
The Hong Kong Section of the XRL is a 26-kilometre-long underground rail corridor linking Hong Kong West Kowloon Station to the Hong Kong/Shenzhen boundary at Huanggang, where it is connected with the Mainland Section of the XRL. There is also an emergency rescue siding and stabling sidings at Shek Kong to support emergency evacuation and maintenance.
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