MTR, Hong Kong, says that most of its new railway projects are making progress as scheduled. “Over the past year, multiple new railway projects have completed their respective critical works as planned, laying a solid foundation for the peak construction phase starting from this year,” says Carl Devlin, MTR’s capital works director, who was speaking during a media presentation on June 11. “We are now fully engaged in large-scale structural works.”
Kwu Tung station on the East Rail Line, which is part of the Northern Link project, is set to be topped out in the fourth quarter of this year with target construction completion on schedule for 2027, making it the first station to be commissioned in MTR’s current wave of new railway projects.
“The construction of Kwu Tung station, located between Sheung Shui and Lok Ma Chau stations on the East Rail Line and serving as a key interchange station for the Northern Link, is progressing smoothly in accordance with plans, with works on the station structure in full swing and glass panels for platform screen doors now being installed,” MTR says.
“For the Tung Chung Line Extension’s east section, the new track towards Hong Kong Island has been fully laid, with trackside equipment installation currently underway. Meanwhile, the main structure of Tung Chung East station is now visibly taking shape. In the west section, the Tung Chung Line westbound new railway tunnel is expected to be completed within this year.”
MTR says foundation works for the Tuen Mun Line south extension viaduct have started, with superstructure construction set to begin progressively by the end of this year.
Most of the projects involve construction work on operating lines and in densely populated areas. “The team has to make good use of the non-traffic hours after train services end every night and some non-peak hours to advance work progress,” MTR says.
MTR says it remains committed to “meticulous planning and stringent project management, utilising innovative technologies.” To this end, MTR has set up Digital Delivery Centres (DDC) to ensure projects are delivered safely and systematically.
“We place great emphasis on the integrated application of innovative technology,” Devlin says. “Our DDCs for the railway projects employ diverse digital technologies and systems to provide integrated management and monitoring throughout all project phases. The DDCs have proven instrumental in enhancing construction management, work efficiency, and safety performance across our projects.”
MTR has set up two DDCs to oversee the railway projects by region. Engineering personnel use digital tools, including a common data environment with Building Information Modelling (BIM) to consolidate architectural, civil and electrical and mechanical (E&M) data from design to construction throughout the project. Teams can share and analyse information in real time, facilitating joint and advanced planning of work procedures, improving communication and coordination efficiency to ensure construction quality.
MTR’s Smart Site Management Platform is equipped with cameras in various locations and allows remote real-time monitoring of construction progress. Workers’ smart wearables with IoT connectivity further enhance their safety and enable dynamic manpower allocation, enhancing efficiency and flexibility.
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