The Hong Kong Airport Railway

Feature Railways and Air Transport

Alastair J. Budge-Reid

a firm and committed project for the Hong These all required massive investment by Background—The Beginning Kong Airport Railway. the HKG and included a high-speed rail In November 1989, the HKG announced system to serve the new airport. Follow- This article describes the principal chal- its decision to build a new Hong Kong ing the HKG’s invitations for expressions lenges and responses developed by the International Airport at Chek Lap Kok, to- of interest, the MTRC signed a Memoran- Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) gether with nine related infrastructure dum of Understanding with the HKG in in moving from the initial concept defined projects that became known as the Air- which it agreed to participate in feasibil- by the Hong Kong Government (HKG) to port Core Programme (ACP) projects. ity studies for the high-speed rail system and, subject to satisfactory findings, to enter into an agreement to design, build, finance and operate the Airport Railway (AEL).

Financing and Programme

Financing The MTRC was established by law as an autonomous body wholly owned by the HKG for the purpose of constructing and operating, on prudent commercial prin- ciples, a mass transit railway system hav- ing regard to the reasonable requirements of the public transport system of Hong Kong. As sole shareholder in the MTRC, the HKG invested capital in the MTRC network, reflecting its commitment to Tsing Ma Bridge in Lantau Link (MTRC)

Figure 1 Route of Hong Kong Airport Railway and Tung Chung Line

Kowloon

Tsing Yi

Lai King Airport Express Tung Chung Line

Airport Olympic

Kowloon

Tung Chung Hong Lantau Island Kong

Hong Kong Island

36 Japan Railway & Transport Review 19 • March 1999 Copyright © 1999 EJRCF. All rights reserved. building an efficient public transport sys- quently delayed by external factors and tions of project definition and to revise tem. As the operations have become prof- ‘day one’ eventually moved to 1998. The the original design standards and specifi- itable, the MTRC paid dividends on the AEL Project construction programme re- cations used for the first three lines. These investment by the HKG. The MTRC rail- mained constant at 43 months through- required updating to benefit from the ex- way network is running at a profit and out all these changes, but the initial perience of 10 years of operations, devel- receives no subsidy. uncertainties and changes to the starting opments in technology in the intervening It was therefore proposed that there would date, which was not approved until No- period, and new standards of quality and be ‘four pillars’ to underpin the financing vember 1994, interfered with the overall system assurance, in the railway industry. of the AEL project: injection of initial programme and created significant inter- They also required updating to take into equity by the shareholder (to be kept as face problems between contracts, both in account the significant evolution in the low as possible); deferral of dividend pay- design and construction. regulatory and statutory approval process ments on previous investments to the and the expectations of increasingly more shareholder; profits from railway-related Team Building—Benefits of demanding and discerning passengers. property developments, and borrowing Experience and Managing Change To manage these changes and to be able on the financial markets. Subsequently, to respond to questions arising from the the equity injection by the HKG was in- When it was established, the MTRC was feasibility studies, a joint Design Steering creased, thus reducing the need for bor- necessarily a ‘hands-on’ construction- Group was set up with members from the rowing. To some degree, this offset the orientated organization that built three operators and maintainers of the existing financial consequences of delays to the lines in quick succession between 1976 system together with members from the start of the project while talks between and 1986. However, following the MRTC marketing and planning divisions. the UK and China proceeded. completion of the third Island Line in The design standards and specifications 1986, the Project Division, which had at the start of feasibility studies, which had Programme been responsible for delivery of new lines, been used to design and construct the The HKG originally decided that all the was disbanded. The MTRC then concen- existing lines, were reviewed by this Steer- ACP projects should be completed by trated on responding to increased rider- ing Group to incorporate new knowledge mid-1997. However, questions were ship and passenger demand by improving obtained from operating the existing sys- raised in some quarters about whether the levels of service and reliability on exist- tem, and to address the new requirements AEL was needed on ‘day one’ of the air- ing lines. The Eastern Harbour Crossing of a fundamentally different railway sys- port operation, because, in the early years, link completed in 1989, had been de- tem serving an entirely new market. there would be no congestion on the roads signed and constructed by others using to the airport. As the feasibility study pro- essentially the same design standards as Defining Project—Emphasis on gressed, it became clear that the initial rid- used for the Island Line. It was a very Customer Requirements ership would not meet original successful project in terms of benefits to expectations, but given air passenger fore- the MTR network and became an exten- A problem that appeared in several dif- casts and road bridge toll assumptions, it sion to the existing system. ferent guises during the AEL planning and was still possible to demonstrate that even However, due to the size, complexity and feasibility studies was the absence of any with no protection from competition, the uncertainties of the AEL project, the origi- suitable example of a similar railway to project remained viable. Also, providing nal hands-on approach to project man- use as a benchmark. The challenge, there- equivalent transport capacity by other agement was adopted again. The problem fore, was to determine what an air-rail link means, such as buses and taxis, would at the outset was to rebuild a project team is exactly. Project definition encompasses create many other problems due to the and to re-create a project-orientated en- all levels of detail from the high level numbers of vehicles required. In addi- vironment. Fortunately, there were still strategic statements of purpose, through tion, there would soon be a need to re- some staff remaining from the earlier the service requirements, the functional lieve the crowded Nathan Road section projects. With time, it was possible to requirements and down to the design of the MTRC’s Tsuen Wan Line (TWL) recruit back to MTRC a significant num- standards and specifications needed to which could be provided by the AEL. ber of experienced engineers and archi- deliver the product. Fixing these issues Therefore, it was confirmed that the AEL tects who had previously been in the proved to be one of the greatest chal- should be available from ‘day one.’ The Project Division. This team formed a lenges. actual Airport programme was subse- nucleus of expertise to address the ques- The first objective, set by the HKG, was

Cost Estimates —Making It Happen

The preparation of estimates presented some challenges. There were few cost- estimating rates for works of similar or comparable magnitude and complexity and no reference projects from which to benchmark. The only cost estimate data- base available for much of the heavy civil engineering work was derived from the Island Line completed in 1986. Similarly, although some data was available from the Eastern Harbour Crossing completed in 1989, very little cost information was available for the most modern railway electrical and mechanical systems, the nature of which had evolved significantly over the intervening period. AEL Train (MTRC) Consequently, designs during the feasibility study stages were very preliminary for that more than 50% of all airport trips to run on the Airport Railway. First, a a project of this size, given that each of should be by rail. This would ensure that dedicated high-speed rail service was re- the airport railway stations had a footprint the maximum amount of the relatively quired to provide quick, convenient and of over 4 hectares in plan with multiple restricted highway capacity over the reliable access to the new airport, linking levels above and below ground. Each sta- Lantau Link would be available for freight it to the downtown business districts of tion presented design challenges similar and commerce. The second objective, an Kowloon and Central Hong Kong. Sec- in magnitude and complexity to those for MTRC objective, was that there should be ond, an urban-type MTR service, similar the airport terminal building itself. Even an acceptable commercial return on the to the existing services, was required to so, an estimate was prepared for the rail- investment, commensurate with its objec- provide domestic mass transit services way that was incorporated without tive of building new lines only when there between Tung Chung, a new town being change into the AEL Agreement many is a proven transport need and where it is built to service the new airport and other months later and that remained as the technically and commercially prudent to new development areas on the north shore project budget. The railway works, in- do so. of Lantau Island. In addition, passenger cluding those incorporated into govern- The declared strategic intent of the HKG predictions for the existing MTR system ment projects and inclusive of design, and its policy support aligned the many also indicated a pressing need to relieve supervision and all corporate on-costs disparate parties, in particular those par- congestion in the Nathan Road section of amounted to HK$35 billion (US$4.5 bil- ties developing the master plan for the the existing TWL. This could be achieved lion) at out-turn. new airport and the related infrastructure by the proposed new line from Tung projects, who had their own priorities. For Chung if a fast and convenient interchange Apportionment of costs its part, the MTRC applied appropriate could be created between the old and new The stations formed the substructure of the checks and balances to control expendi- lines. The new railway was thus defined aboveground commercial developments, ture and achieve the transport objectives. by two services: the dedicated airport link but there were no parallel designs for the At every stage and as the technical ele- or Airport Express (AEL), and the domes- railway with and without the commercial ments were defined, customer service and tic or MTR service, now called the Tung development, which would have allowed passenger demand tests were applied and, Chung Line (TCL), running where practi- identification of the marginal additional where practicable, used to determine cable on the same tracks. cost to the railway of the property devel- choices for the project design. opment requirements. Therefore, it was Two quite separate services were required necessary to develop apportionment rules

38 Japan Railway & Transport Review 19 • March 1999 Copyright © 1999 EJRCF. All rights reserved. to determine the contribution of property development to the overall works costs. Provisions to recover these costs were incorporated into the property agreements. The total cost of the whole project inclusive of development foundations and infrastructure associated with property development is approximately HK$48 billion (US$6.1 billion) at out-turn.

Property Development —A Case of Mutual Benefit

Profit from property development, an essential ‘pillar’ of the financial support for the AEL, had been a feature of all previous MTR lines. Rather than buying land at public auction, which is the usual means of land disposal by the HKG, the MRTC negotiated a private treaty grant with the HKG to buy at commercial valu- Proposed property development at Kowloon Station site (MTRC) ation prices for developing sites above stations, depots, associated transport was very large indeed, and each was con- achieved once more at the Town Planning interchanges or for other reasons inti- sidered to be a Comprehensive Develop- Board statutory approval stage that was mately linked to the railway construction ment Area (CDA) in its own right. required prior to the start of construction. or operation. The MTRC then develops Although the principle of property devel- While this strategy was essential to en- the sites as a joint venture with a private opment was acknowledged in feasibility able the air rights development to pro- developer and enjoys a share of the de- and other studies and some initial devel- ceed, it rendered the railway designs velopment profit, which is used to finance opment schemes were prepared to ensure vulnerable to change to suit urban devel- the railway. that the railway planning would be com- opment needs and in fact several radical In addition to the obvious financial re- patible with future development, no firm changes were made to the station designs wards, there are several benefits from this large-scale schemes could be decided in from those developed at feasibility stage approach. Significant population centres the AEL early planning stages. Like all and used for project estimating purposes. are created immediately above or near design processes, development of prop- In fact, the problems of project definition stations and this encourages ridership on erty master plans is iterative, and although for the CDA Sites are as challenging in the railway, benefiting the operator and the first schemes, developed within the their own way as those facing the railway the whole community. Living near an feasibility and other studies were helpful and ultimately may only be finalized by MTR station is seen by people as a sig- in defining what should be provided the developer who takes the commercial nificant advantage and property values above the stations, they were by no means risks. The total number of apartments rise accordingly. In addition, by integrat- final. being built in AEL-related property devel- ing railway and property development To address this problem, a strategy was opments exceeds 24,300 with a total gross under one umbrella, construction of apart- devised whereby the Brief to the design floor area (GFA) of some 1.932 million ments is accelerated, helping to solve consultants for the detailed design of the m2. In addition some 644,000 m2 of com- Hong Kong’s chronic long-term housing railway included as a first stage, prepara- mercial space and 316,000 m2 of retail shortage. The approach also has urban tion of the initial stages of the develop- space, as well as 9 hotels with a total GFA planning benefits by integrating transport ment Master Plan. This Plan was then of over 375,000 m2, are being planned facilities, civic amenities, housing and developed in parallel with the railway and built. commercial developments more effec- design by independent teams with appro- tively. Each of the AEL development sites priate communication. Convergence was

The Route Alignment agreement was concluded, was a decisive mode as follows: taxis 43%; private cars —Finding The Way factor in the MTRC’s ‘day one’ operating 11%; hotel vehicles and coaches 10%; strategy. franchised buses & other public transport Unlike all previous MTR lines, which are AEL’s Hong Kong Station was located including the MTR 17%; luxury feeder located along existing transport corridors within the Phase-1 works of the Central buses 13%; walking 6%. Since most pas- through the most densely populated dis- District reclamation area. Due to space sengers at the AEL stations will arrive and tricts of Hong Kong, the route to the air- constraints, only one AEL platform could depart by taxi or other road transport, the port was largely unpopulated and ran for be provided. Phase-2 and completion of layout of the stations had to provide bet- most of its length on newly reclaimed land the Station depends upon further recla- ter access for these vehicles than at previ- that did not even exist at the time of the mation following relocation of the Star ous MTR stations. feasibility studies. Ferry piers to allow construction of an To achieve maximum convenience and The new transport corridor was primarily overrun tunnel and full turn-back facility. access, the ideal arrangement is for ve- for the highway network, so the railway The design of the interchange between the hicles to set down and pick up at the same had to fit within the highway corridor TCL and TWL had to provide the maxi- level as the platforms. However, the pre- wherever possible. The railway and in- mum convenience and minimum trans- dicted design flows made it impossible to frastructures had to be included in high- fer time for passengers, because this would provide sufficient length of kerb within the way works contracts to meet the overall be the only way to attract passengers from stations to permit this. Consequently, a ACP programme prior to any firm com- the TWL to the TCL, thereby relieving two-level design was adopted with ample mitment to the AEL project or any agree- congestion on the Nathan Road section provision for change of level by passen- ment between the HKG and the MTRC. of the TWL. By taking advantage of the gers with or without luggage via lifts and This included provision for the railway configuration of the tunnels at Lai King escalators. Experience from Hong Kong’s over the Lantau Fixed Crossing, now Hill, it was possible to switch the existing Kai Tak Airport and elsewhere suggested known as the Lantau Link. An at-grade or line into a new station alongside Lai King that a more regulated and controlled pick- overhead alignment was used wherever Station, thus facilitating cross-platform in- up arrangement might be possible if flex- possible, with underground sections be- terchange between TCL and TWL in the ibility for taxi drivers could be maintained. ing kept as shallow as practicable, con- peak flow direction. The design allows passengers to queue for sistent with minimizing the cost and taxis within the air- conditioned station maintaining ease of passenger access from Transport Interchanges environment and only moving to the the surface. —A New Experience kerbside when a taxi is available. To Due to bridge load restrictions, tunnels achieve the required flow, saw-tooth kerbs were considered for the Lantau Link but Although most riders on the existing MTR were adopted to allow one taxi to pass they were not cost effective. The com- network live or work within walking dis- while another is loading. This arrange- mitment by the HKG to incorporate the tance of a station, this is certainly not the ment together with inter-digitated passen- railway works as essential infrastructure case for the AEL. Access to and from AEL ger piers and taxi lanes permits into the Lantau Link, even before the AEL stations was predicted to be divided by simultaneous loading of up to 20 taxis

Figure 2 Design of Air-Conditioned Taxi Piers

Air-Conditioned waiting area

Design concept of taxi pickup area (MTRC)

40 Japan Railway & Transport Review 19 • March 1999 Copyright © 1999 EJRCF. All rights reserved. within the smallest possible area. Trials were carried out in liaison with the Taxi Drivers Association to ensure their support. Figure 2 show the taxi layout at Kowloon Station.

Station Design —New Design Concept

The key attraction of any air rail link is speed and reliability, which reduce the stress of international travel. The AEL was designed to create the feeling that arriv- ing at an AEL station is tantamount to ar- riving at Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok. Design features and concepts in keeping with an airport and air travel were introduced to create an airport environment at the stations. Whilst Airport Station concept (MTRC) retaining the required characteristics of durability and low maintenance costs, a exterior finishes and to take into account The Rolling Stock higher specification for finishes was the requirements of property develop- —Transport Identity adopted for the AEL stations and natural ments integrated with the stations. daylight was admitted whenever possible. The high-speed AEL has to compete ef- Other features such as flight information The Airport Terminal fectively with road-based transport in displays, improved access for those with —A Unique Opportunity terms of journey time and reliability, while impaired mobility and customer services maintaining efficiency and holding energy appropriate to an air traveller such as food The unique opportunity presented by the consumption to acceptable levels. Given outlets and additional commercial facili- simultaneous construction of an entirely the relatively short total journey of 34 km, ties were planned. Another major feature new airport and airport railway on a the distance between the four stations and cost consideration for the AEL stations green-field site, enabled the original Mas- (Hong Kong, Kowloon, Tsing Yi, Airport) was provision of substantial transport inter Plan to place the arrivals and depar- and the constraints on acceleration and terchange facilities, bus terminals and car tures railway platforms at the same levels braking rates, a maximum operating speed parks facilitating connection to the AEL. in the terminal building under the same of 135 km/h was selected. This is not high These are described in more detail below. roof. in modern railway terms but is signifi- However, the TCL stations had to conform However, this arrangement could not be cantly higher than the 80 km/h of the other more closely to the existing system be- sustained during the airport design devel- MTR lines. Analysis of passenger demand cause they are part of the MTR network. opment stages due to the barrier that the and customer profiles showed that em- Nevertheless, to meet the public’s in- platforms presented to access to other phasis should be placed on a higher stan- creased expectations for a system more transport modes. Therefore, the platforms dard of comfort for airport passengers, modern than the Island Line completed were relocated to the Ground Transporta- ideally using a ‘business class’ model. All in 1986, the opportunity was taken to up- tion Centre outside the terminal building. passengers should be seated on good- grade finishes and to improve the railway However, the key customer service re- quality seats similar to aircraft seats with environment with respect to noise and air- quirement of easy access to and from the passenger information systems, including conditioning. AEL was maintained by using link bridges multi-channel seat back video displays. In adopting a shallow alignment for the and the relatively small increase in dis- Air travel projections from the airline in- AEL to facilitate access, a significant part tance was ameliorated by provision of dustry indicated that ten-car trains would of the station buildings were above moving walkways. eventually be required while passenger ground, creating the need to consider the predictions for the TCL confirmed that

vided at each vestibule in sight of seated passengers. In addition small bags can be stored under seats, which are canti- levered for maintenance and security purposes. The feasibility study showed that AEL ridership and revenues could be increased significantly by providing an In-Town Check-In (ITCI) service, so passengers could check-in their bags at a station and then travel unencumbered to the airport by the AEL. Studies confirmed that ITCI was feasible and could increase ridership. Unfortunately the requirement for Cus- toms control at the airport, together with Improved facilities for disabled persons (MTRC) the size of any baggage reclamation facility, precluded the possibility of an In- eight-car high-capacity trains would be opments in rolling stock to achieve better Town Check-Out (ITCO) service. required eventually. performance and reliability with the new To provide the ITCI service, the AEL train Since both the AEL and TCL trains were fleet. The AEL trains in particular would configuration was revised to include one to run together over significant lengths of have to meet the increased expectations baggage car at the end of each train, re- the same track, the performance of the two of air travellers. sulting in nine passenger cars and one trains had to be identical, a fact that would The interior noise specification was set to baggage car. However, because no ITCO bring benefits at the tender and construc- a much quieter level than that on existing service could be provided on the return tion stages. Initially, the AEL headway was trains. This was both to improve intelligi- journey, no reduction in luggage space planned at 8 minutes, falling to 4.5 min- bility of train announcements and to cre- within the cars was possible. utes in the design year and providing a ate an AEL interior environment more Baggage security problems were resolved final capacity of 10,000 passengers per consistent with the business class image. by introduction of a new bulk X-ray de- hour with some passengers standing. The The external noise generation was set to vice, known as MAEDS (Mechanized Au- TCL service would be provided by inter- the minimum practicable level to meet tomatic Explosive Detection System) leaving two TCL trains between each AEL increasing pressure from the environmen- which was undergoing trials at a number train, with one TCL train turning back at tal lobby and increased public sensitivity of international airports. This system en- Tsing Yi. In the design year, this pattern to noise. Since new rolling stock would ables all baggage from all check-in desks could provide 2.25-minute services be- be used on entirely new track, a resilient to be screened in bulk in the baggage- tween Hong Kong and Tsing Yi and 4.5- track support system was adopted and the handling hall rather than at the check-in. minute services to Tung Chung. This vehicle suspension and track support were The great benefit is that only normal se- pattern gave the ultimate required design designed as one dynamic system, thereby curity and not ‘air side’ security is required capacities of 66,700 and 33,300 passen- achieving better wear and noise perfor- within the MTR system. MAEDS has been gers per hour on the TCL. mance than possible on previous lines. adopted for some functions at the new The basic rolling stock design assumed airport and the ITCI has been planned that the cars would be the same size as Baggage Handling and In- accordingly. those of the existing fleet, allowing pas- Town Check-In Luggage trolleys are an essential feature sage but not operation of the new cars of AEL stations. During early discussions through existing tunnels. Also the basic Air passenger surveys and consultations with the Railway Inspectorate regulator for interior configuration of cars for the TCL with the airline representatives made it safety, it was decided that luggage trol- was to be similar to the existing fleet, as possible to estimate the luggage likely to leys could not be allowed on the trains. was the door configuration. However, in be carried by each passenger and thus to However, the stations have been planned most other respects, it was intended to design the baggage space provisions on to allow trolleys to be used to move lug- take advantage of the most recent devel- AEL trains. Luggage racks have been pro- gage between platforms and carriages

42 Japan Railway & Transport Review 19 • March 1999 Copyright © 1999 EJRCF. All rights reserved. The service frequency will be increased as passenger numbers build up. Despite very aggressive competition from buses and other road-based transport, the passenger response has been very favourable and is showing a steady increase in market share. I

Notes: 1 Crighton and Budge-Reid. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) Civil Engineer- ing Special Issue: Hong Kong International Air- port, Part 2: transport links. November 1998, ISSN0965 089

Hong Kong In-Town Check-In Hall (MTRC) with full provision of lifts for those need- derstand the process to be adopted, and ing to change level. The ticket barriers to set down procedures for managing and have been designed to allow passage of controlling this from the very outset. passengers with trolleys and recirculation Second, it is vital that there is a good un- of empty trolleys away from the public. derstanding of the political processes and broader economic and social context in which the project is to be created. All Conclusions—The Next Step levels of the organization must understand how these can influence even the best Building the AEL presented unique chal- plans and must be able to meet the challenges, and this article has touched on lenges and manage risks constructively. some of the many issues including financ- Also, consideration of how the cost and ing and operation addressed during the financial risks might be addressed in the initial project planning, feasibility study public arena from the outset, to promote and design stages. More detailed infor- informed public opinion and policy deci- mation on the construction aspects is sions, is time well spent. described in the Proceedings of the Insti- The AEL was completed on schedule and tution of Civil Engineers1. The most prob- opened for public service on 6 July 1998. lematic issues have been associated with It currently operates on a 10- minute head- defining such an interdependent project, way between 06:00 and 01:00. The TCL and of managing designs in the context operates a 5- minute service at peak hours. of a rapidly changing political process. Project definition was particularly difficult when the project played a central role in Alastair J. Budge-Reid multiple interrelated development projects and transport networks. A major Mr Budge-Reid joined the Hong Kong MTRC in 1977 and is Project Engineering Manager responsible project of this kind is particularly vulner- for all engineering and technical standards and for planning railway extension projects, especially the Airport Railway. Before leaving the MTRC in 1986, he worked on the Tsuen Wan Extension and able to design changes and their atten- Island Line. He returned to the MTRC in 1990 after 4 years with the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club as dant cost and programme implications. Project Manager (Design) building the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He is a First, both the clients and project team graduate of the University of Surrey (UK). alike must make their best efforts to un-