Hong Kong to look into completing rail link in Northern Metropolis earlier after lawmakers voice concerns over potential jobs, housing mismatch

Development chief tells lawmakers enterprises could move into Northern Metropolis by 2030, followed by residents, triggering questions on plan’s feasibility

Lawmakers ask whether jobs will be available for residents as the Northern Link may not open until 2034

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The proposed Northern Metropolis, located on land near the mainland border, is expected to create up to 650,000 jobs. Photo: May Tse

Published: 6:49pm, 30 Jun 2023

Authorities will look into completing a major rail line in Hong Kong’s New Territories earlier after lawmakers voiced concerns over a potential mismatch between housing and jobs in the Northern Metropolis megaproject.

The ambitious metropolis project, described by the administration as a new driving force for economic growth and integration with mainland China, was announced in 2021 by former chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and covers a total land area of about 300 sq km.

Located in the northern part of Hong Kong, bordering the mainland, the area is said to be capable of housing a population of 2.5 million and create 650,000 job opportunities when fully developed.

Development chief Bernadette Linn says concrete details will be provided later. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

In a Legislative Council discussion on Friday, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said enterprises could move in by 2030, followed by residents, triggering questions from lawmakers about the plan’s feasibility.

They questioned whether jobs would be available for residents when the Northern Link, a major rail line serving the northern part of the New Territories, might not open until 2034, with lawmaker Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung criticising the government’s planning, saying it was “not comprehensive enough”.

Linn said: “We will work with the Transport and Logistics Bureau to see if the Northern Link can be opened any earlier.”

The bureau would provide more concrete details of ancillary transport services during the interim period to ease public concerns, she added.

Hong Kong to look into completing rail link in Northern Metropolis earlier after lawmakers voice concerns over potential jobs, housing mismatch

Development chief tells lawmakers enterprises could move into Northern Metropolis by 2030, followed by residents, triggering questions on plan’s feasibility Lawmakers ask whether jobs will be available for residents as the Northern Link may not open until 2034

Development chief tells lawmakers enterprises could move into Northern Metropolis by 2030, followed by residents, triggering questions on plan’s feasibility

Lawmakers ask whether jobs will be available for residents as the Northern Link may not open until 2034