Hong Kong to get moving on East Kowloon, Kai Tak mass transit projects with expressions of interest from firms to be sought in 2024

Planned mass transit systems in East Kowloon and the Kai Tak development will be open to competition via tenders, Hong Kong’s transport chief has said, adding a decision on whether the MTR Corporation will take charge of the projects has not yet been made.

“The government will invite suppliers or operators to submit expressions of interest for the projects in East Kowloon and Kai Tak next year so as to finalise the details, including tender conditions,” he said.

“Up to now no decision has been made on whether the MTR Corp will take up these projects … But the firm can submit expressions of interest. We also welcome other bus operators to partner with others to submit their proposals to us.”

The East Kowloon project will connect Kwun Tong uphill areas, including Choi Wan, Shun Lee, Shun On, Sau Mau Ping, Po Tat and Ma Yau Tong, to facilitate access to the MTR’s Choi Hung and Yau Tong stations. The aim is to improve the district’s overall transport and unleash development potential.

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The Kai Tak mass transit system will connect the old airport area to the Kai Tak MTR station, including the cruise terminal and Kai Tak Sports Park, which is being built. It is a revival of a shelved project as part of a possible mix of mass transit systems for the 320-hectare (791 acres) district.

However, Lam conceded the Kai Tak system would be scaled back to exclude Kwun Tong because of technical problems related to the construction.

“We need to further study its construction cost but we think that after taking the returns into account the cost is still viable,” he said.

Authorities in 2020 scrapped plans for a monorail connecting Kai Tak, Kwun Tong and Kowloon Bay after spending 11 years and HK$90 million (US$11.5 million) on feasibility studies.

The authorities, which estimated a decade earlier that the project would cost HK$12 billion, said creating a single elevated rail system would be “severely constrained by the adjacent congested developments, very costly and not financially viable”.

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Instead, the government later proposed having a mix of electric vehicles for new bus and minibus routes, a network of moving walkways and promenades, open spaces for pedestrians and cyclists, and an elevated landscape deck connecting to Kwun Tong MTR station.

Ambitious plans for the Kai Tak development, on the site of the city’s former international airport, included creating a new business district with homes, offices and shops, green spaces, a sports and leisure hub and cruise centre.

The cruise terminal was built and people have moved into the first completed homes, but there have been complaints and mounting calls for the government to improve public transport options.

The SkyShuttle train system is built by Shenzhen-based electric vehicle maker BYD Auto while the Sichuan province-based Zhong Tang Sky Railway Group, whose Sky Trains have been running in Chengdu since 2016, has also expressed interest.

The MTR Corp said it would proactively leverage its expertise in railway development and operations in promoting the sustainable development of Hong Kong.