Hong Kong MTR’s new South Island Line, which UK firm Atkins helped design, started operating on 28 December serving the 350,000 residents and workers in the territory’s Southern District.
John Blackwood, Atkins’ director for transport in Asia Pacific, said: "We’ve been working with MTRC for over 40 years but it’s always a thrill to see a new line come into operation, providing significant benefits to the community along the alignment."
The new line runs in a combination of underground and elevated structures, with five stations in total.
Atkins was appointed by the MTR Corporation to provide the detailed design for two elevated stations at Ocean Park and Wong Chuk Hang, 1.9km of new elevated viaduct, a new 247m bridge spanning the Aberdeen Channel Bridge, noise barriers, widening of a major open nullah for drainage, slope works, complex utility diversions and other associated works.
"As the South Island Line is an elevated railway on the densely populated Hong Kong Island, it was a particularly challenging project as it is becoming progressively more difficult to build above ground railway lines in Hong Kong," added Blackwood.
Atkins said one challenge was cutting the adverse visual impacts of the above ground structures.
Image: The new line runs in a combination of underground and elevated structures, with five stations in total (Atkins)
