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 toLok Ma Chau Kwu Tung     proposed extension East Rail line toAdmiralty proposed spur line toHuanggang Port San Tin Ngau Tam Mei Au Tau Tuen Ma line toTuen Mun South Kam Sheung Road     Pat Heung Depot Tuen Ma line toWu Kai Sha This diagram: view talk edit

TheNorthern Link is a proposedcommuter rail /rapid transit line of theMTR^[1] system ofHong Kong which would connect theTuen Ma line and theLok Ma Chau Spur Line of theEast Rail line. The link would also serve as a connection to the border checkpoint tomainland China for passengers to and from the westernNew Territories.^[2] The Northern Link would start atKam Sheung Road and end atKwu Tung, with 3 intermediate stations.

Other benefits for constructing this project are significantly shorter journey times for certain trips (for example, theYuen Long toFanling 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.

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]

The Northern Link (NOL) project is expected to consist of four phases.

Phase 1 consists of the construction and completion of Kwu Tung station that will initially serve theEast Rail line after its opening, then later the Northern Link after the completion of Phase 2. It had been partially built byKCR Corporation during the construction of theLok Ma Chau Spur Line. Construction of Kwu Tung station was approved by the government in 2022 is scheduled to commence in 2023 with completion due in 2027.^[6] Construction started on September 29, 2023.^[7]

The station was expected to cost HK$3.5 billion as of December 2015.^[8][9] As of July 2023, the estimated cost had risen to HK$5.9 billion.^[10]

Phase 2 consists of the building of the 10.7 kmmain line fromKam Sheung Road station to Kwu Tung station. It also includes the construction of 3 new stations (Au Tau, Ngau Tam Mei and San Tin) along with the expansion of Kam Sheung Road station to accommodate the new tracks and platforms. Planning and designing began in 2021. Construction of the mainline is planned to begin in 2025 and be completed in 2034.^[11]

It is expected to cost HK$58.5 billion in December 2015 prices.^[12][13]

The 5.8 km Northern Link Spur Line starts from San Tin station and connects to San Tin Technopole, Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park (station name is not confirmed) before terminating at theHuanggang Port inShenzhen. Planning and design for the line is expected to start in 2024^[14], but the KCR Corporation is currently focusing on Kwu Tung

The 9.5 km eastern extension extends eastward from Kwu Tung to Ping Che via Lo Wu South and Man Kam To.^[14] Originally planned as part of the extension, the section from Heung Yuen Wai toFanling station will form the new 8.5 km Northeast New Territories Line.^[15]

In July 2021,Liber Research Community found that developers had begun to hoard land alongside the Northern Link line, buying at least 80 hectares of land near the line.^[16]

• MTR Northern Link Project Website

• MTR lines
• Standard-gauge railways in Hong Kong
• Proposed railway lines in Hong Kong
• 2027 in rail transport

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