Transport secretary steps up calls for extra cash for high-speed rail link
Anthony Cheung Bing-leung claims costs to any delay will be big
The transport secretary on Wednesday renewed calls for legislators to approve extra funding for the high-speed rail link to Guangdong, saying failure to do so could lead to the project’s suspension.
Anthony Cheung Bing-leung told an RTHK talk show the government would consider suspending work on the Hong Kong portion of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong rail link in late February if no fresh capital was in sight.
The government has sought the Legislative Council public works subcommittee’s approval of HK$19.6 billion in extra cash. It expects the HK$65 billion it earlier allocated to the MTR Corporation for the project to run dry by July.
“The MTR Corp is expected to ask the government shortly if there will be fresh funds. If no, it will have to notify contractors so they will not keep using money,” he said. “Our estimate is that we have to consider this matter around end of February.”
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He said works could be suspended for six months at most, with each month costing HK$230 million to maintain the sites.
