China News Agency, Hong Kong, May 14 (Reporter Han Xingtong) The opening ceremony of the East Rail Line's sea-crossing section was held at the Convention and Exhibition Station on the 14th.
Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, presided over the ceremony and took the lead in experiencing the sea section.
In her speech, she pointed out that the opening of the sea-crossing section of the East Rail Line will closely connect the Victoria Harbour metropolitan area and the northern metropolitan area in the long run, and further promote the integrated development of Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
On the morning of May 14, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, attended the celebration ceremony for the opening of the cross-sea section of the MTR East Rail Line.
She said that the cross-sea section of the East Rail Line will connect the east-west, north-south, north-south railway network, making it more convenient for citizens to travel.
The picture shows Carrie Lam (fifth from left) and other guests attending the opening ceremony.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Li Zhihua
It is reported that with the opening of the sea crossing section on the 15th, the terminus of the East Rail Line will be extended from the current Hung Hom Station to the Admiralty Station, and will pass through the newly-built Convention and Exhibition Station. Passengers on the East Rail Line can travel between the Northeast New Territories and Hong Kong Island without changing lines.
Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor went to Admiralty Station by train from the newly established Convention and Exhibition Station on the same day.
In her speech, Carrie Lam said that the cross-sea section of the East Rail Line was put into service, marking that the more than 100-year-old East Rail Line will cross the Victoria Harbour and become the fourth cross-sea railway in Hong Kong.
She believes that the cross-sea section of the East Rail Line is strategic and will be welcomed by the public after its opening.
A railway network connecting east, west, north and south will bring greater travel convenience to Hong Kong citizens.
Carrie Lam pointed out that in the long run, the strategic positioning of the East Rail Line will be very important. It will closely connect the Victoria Harbour Metropolitan Area, which is marked by an international financial center, and the northern metropolitan area, where the SAR Government proposes to build an international innovation and technology center. To achieve the vision that the two metropolitan areas of Hong Kong, the north and the south, keep pace with each other, and promote the further integration and development of Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
In this regard, the governments of Hong Kong and Shenzhen have set up a “special class for promoting the construction of cross-boundary rail infrastructure in Hong Kong and Shenzhen” earlier, and different proposals are being discussed covering the extension of the East Rail Line to Shenzhen Luohu, the optimization of the Luohu Control Point and related transportation connection arrangements, etc. , with a view to jointly building a "Greater Bay Area on Track".
Looking forward to the future, Carrie Lam said that under the promotion of the current SAR government's promotion of "transport infrastructure first", other railway projects are being carried out in an orderly manner. Advance and further improve the railway network in Hong Kong to support the future development of Hong Kong's society and economy.
(Finish)