Northern Link (MTR)

The Northern Link is a proposed commuter rail / rapid transit line of the MTR^[1] system of Hong Kong which would connect the Tuen Ma line and the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line of the East Rail line. The link would also serve as a connection to the border checkpoint to mainland China for passengers to and from the western New Territories.^[2] The Northern Link would start at Kam Sheung Road and end at Kwu Tung, with 3 intermediate stations.

Northern Link 北環綫
Overview
Other name	NOL
Status	Phase 1: Under construction Phase 2: Construction expected to begin in this year, but no signs of construction starting has been revealed
Owner	Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
Locale	Districts: Yuen Long
Termini	Kwu Tung Kam Sheung Road
Stations	5
Service
System	MTR
Operator(s)	MTR Corporation
History
Planned opening	Phase 1: 2027 (Kwu Tung station) Phase 2: 2034 Spur Line: Planned finish at same year as Phase 2 (2034), but is not officially announced by the KCR Corporation
Technical
Line length	26 km (16 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map Legend East Rail line to Lok Ma Chau Kwu Tung      proposed extension East Rail line to Admiralty proposed spur line to Huanggang Port San Tin Ngau Tam Mei Au Tau Tuen Ma line to Tuen Mun South Kam Sheung Road      Pat Heung Depot Tuen Ma line to Wu Kai Sha This diagram: view talk edit

Northern Link
Traditional Chinese	北環綫
Simplified Chinese	北环线
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Běi Huán Xiàn

Other benefits for constructing this project are significantly shorter journey times for certain trips (for example, the Yuen Long to Fanling route would be reduced in length from 20 stations to 5), significantly reducing costs for these trips, as well as relieving the large number of passengers using the East Rail line by diverting some passengers to the Tuen Ma line.

History

According to the Railway Development Strategy 2014, a shuttle service between Kam Sheung Road station and Kwu Tung station spanning 10.7 km (6.6 mi) was expected to begin construction in 2018 and be inaugurated in 2023.^[3]

The initial line is expected to cost HK$62 billion in December 2015 prices, with an average of HK$500 million/km.^[4][5]

Development of Northern Link as mentioned in the 2021 Policy Address, which a spur line and an extension would be built (outdated)