We never pledged delayed Hong Kong-mainland China high-speed rail link would finish on schedule - MTR chief

SCMP - Hong KongToday, 2:00 PM

The contract to build the delayed and over budget high-speed rail link between Hong Kong and mainland China does not impose an absolute obligation that the project be completed by next month, the head of the MTR said today.

MTR chief executive Lincoln Leong Kwok-kuen was speaking at a Legislative Council select committee meeting on the delay, where he was criticised by NeoDemocrat councillor Gary Fan Kwok-wai for trying to shift the corporation’s responsibility away in its failure in managing the project.

It was announced at the end of last month that the 26km line would not open until the third quarter of 2018, and the cost of completion had ballooned to HK$85.3 billion – 30 per cent more than the original budget.

“According to the original timetable, the project should be finished in a few weeks. But now it is delayed and over budget. I think it is because of your failed management,” Fan said.

Leong, the first MTR official to appear before the committee, said there were provisions in the entrustment agreement that allow adjustment to the estimates on cost and timetable, and the government was now reviewing its latest update.



He said the express rail link is a “large” and “immensely” complex project and the corporation had never thought of withholding any information from the government and Legco, noting the original timetable to complete the project by next month was “doable, but tight”.

Leong blamed, among other factors, a labour shortage and difficult ground conditions for the delay. He said the “over optimism” of the project team had delayed the announcement the line could not be completed on schedule, as engineers believed challenges could be overcome because the delay recovery measures were successful in the early stages.

“I would like to apologise that MTR did not until April last year, provide the government, Legco and public with an updated assessment of the completion date of the express rail link project. As a result, our announcement last year understandably caused public concern,” Leong said.

New People’s Party legislator Michael Tien Puk-sun questioned if there was a lack of site investigation before construction began and asked if Leong agreed the MTR had failed in its duty.

Leong replied: “I do not agree at all.”


http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1839343/mtr-chief-defends-management-delayed-hong-kong-mainland-china