Year
2008-2018Duration
10 yearsCost
HK$84.4 billionLocation
Hong KongProject achievements
Connected communities
Connects Hong Kong with 78 destinations in mainland China
Used engineering skill
Built 26km of tunnels through a dense urban environment
Area improved
Provided the city’s first and fastest cross-boundary land transport
Connecting Hong Kong with mainland China through high-speed rail
The Hong Kong section of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (HSR) is the gateway to mainland China.
It connects West Kowloon Station (WEK) with key destinations over a 48,000km high-speed rail network, making travel faster and easier for everyone.
The project began in 2008 and was successfully completed in 2018.
It was part of Hong Kong SAR Government’s railway development programme. The aim was for a regional express line to provide rapid rail transport between the boundary in Shenzhen and the metro areas in Hong Kong SAR.
Did you know …
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The giant curtain wall on West Kowloon Station is made up of over 4,000 irregular glass panels to maximise daylight and conserve energy.
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The station structure is supported by nine sets of massive columns of different heights. The tallest one rises 45m in height from Level B3 up to the curved ceiling.
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The curved ceiling is made of over 8,000 tonnes of steel which is almost the weight of the Eiffel Tower.
How was the Hong Kong section built?
The project involved building West Kowloon Station, one of the largest underground railway stations in the world. It’s a showcase of structural and architectural excellence.
Curved steel columns support a series of intricately engineered V-shaped trusses, creating an iconic steel roof that defines the station’s skyline.
A curtain wall, featuring irregularly shaped glass panels, maximises natural daylight throughout the vast underground open space of the station concourse. This design required a comprehensive and innovative fire safety strategy.
Constructing 26km of tunnels through a dense urban environment, filled with obstructions and complex geological and geotechnical challenges, demanded a blend of engineering approaches.
Tunnel boring machine, cut-and-cover and drill-and-blast methods were necessary to build the tunnel in close proximity to surrounding buildings and vital infrastructure.
Extensive ground improvement works and real-time geotechnical monitoring system were crucial to ensure tunnelling activity didn’t adversely affect the surroundings.
Ground freezing technique was also applied to prevent groundwater ingress.
Difference the link has made
The completion of HSR project turned a new page in rail travel in Hong Kong SAR.
It provided the city’s first and fastest cross-boundary land transport, with convenient, efficient and comfortable services and the advantage of great efficiency of the "co-location" immigration service at the WEK.
By 2024, the HSR connects Hong Kong SAR with 78 destinations in mainland China, with at least 200 train trips running every day.
It significantly reduces journey time and cost between Hong Kong and many key cities, especially the Guangdong-Hong Hong SAR-Macao Greater Bay Area.
It strengthens Hong Kong SAR's position as a regional transportation hub.
People who made it happen
Client: Hong Kong SAR Government
More about this project
Find out more at https://www.highspeed.mtr.com.hk/en/about/hsr-intro.html
