Hong Kong’s Exco approves plans for elevated mass transit system in Kai Tak

Hong Kong’s key decision-making body has approved plans for an elevated smart mass transit railway system in Kai Tak that will connect the cruise terminal and other major facilities in the area to the local MTR station. The Executive Council’s endorsement followed meetings by authorities with the project’s critics and consultations with the public and the Legislative Council to address their concerns. The proposal was gazetted in July last year. “The public is generally supportive of the Smart and Green Mass Transit System in Kai Tak project,” a government spokesman said. “All of the unwithdrawn objections have been submitted to the Executive Council for consideration.” Tenders for the elevated smart mass transit system opened last October, with authorities aiming to commission the railway in 2031. Successful bidders will be granted property development rights in the surrounding areas to help provide long-term funding support. The proposed elevated rail system is expected to be 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles) long, with six stations spanning a 10-minute journey. It is expected to serve 50,000 people and will connect Kai Tak Cruise Terminal to Kai Tak MTR station, with stops at Shing King Street, Kai Tak Sky Garden, Shing Fung Road Park and Kai Tak Sports Park. But the elevated rail line will not connect to Hong Kong Children’s Hospital or New Acute Hospital, which is currently under construction. The selected franchisee will be required to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain each new system. “During the implementation of the SGMTS-KT project, the franchisee will maintain close communication with the relevant stakeholders,” the government spokesman said. The railway system for the area was first proposed in 2012, with the aim of connecting Kai Tak to more districts, including Kwun Tong and Kowloon Bay. The estimated price tag was initially HK$12 billion. But the plan was scrapped in 2020 after HK$90 million was spent on feasibility studies. Authorities at the time said that creating a single elevated rail system would be “severely constrained by adjacent congested developments, very costly and not financially viable”. In 2024, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced in his policy address that the project would be revived after taking systems such as the “SkyShuttle”, “Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit” and “Bus Rapid Transit” into consideration. Several district councillors voiced concerns about the project last year, saying parts of the elevated railway would create noise disturbances for residents near the Kai Tak Sky Garden.