Giant modular construction eyed for Hung Shui Kiu Station, says transport chief

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said the MTR Corporation and Highways Department are studying the use of a giant modular construction method for Hung Shui Kiu Station, as the government seeks to speed up major transport infrastructure works.

In a newspaper interview, Chan said the proposed method would be used for the first time in Hong Kong railway development. Under the plan, parts of the station structure and electrical and mechanical facilities would be prefabricated using Modular Integrated Construction before being installed on the existing Tuen Ma Line.

She said the project would involve two giant station modules, each measuring 210 meters in length, roughly the size of two football pitches. Each module would weigh about 15,000 tonnes, equivalent to around 1,000 double-decker buses.

Chan said the station is being added to an operating railway, making construction particularly challenging. She said the government and railway teams are adopting innovative ways to improve speed and efficiency, with the aim of completing Hung Shui Kiu Station by 2030.

The transport chief, meanwhile, said authorities are encouraging cooperation between the MTR Corporation and the Airport Authority to launch an autonomous private-car service connecting the West Kowloon high-speed rail station and the Airport Express Kowloon Station.

The service would allow elderly passengers and travelers with mobility difficulties to make reservations for point-to-point transfers between the two stations. Papers will be submitted to the District Council next month, with the target of moving toward regular commercial operation within next year.

Chan said Hong Kong currently has more than 60 autonomous vehicles undergoing trials in areas including Lantau, Cyberport, Kowloon Bay and Kwun Tong. Trials are expected to expand to Tung Chung and Sunny Bay in the future.

On Airport Island in Lantau, 20 vehicles will begin driverless testing next month without backup drivers on board. The vehicles will be controlled by a backend system, with three operating on the road at the same time.

Chan described the test as an important milestone for autonomous driving in Hong Kong. She said the goal is to achieve genuine driverless operation under safe and risk-controlled conditions.

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