The MTR on Friday said it will become the first railway operator in the world to adopt a "skidding construction” method – on an operating railway viaduct – when it builds the new Hung Shui Kiu Station on the Tuen Ma Line.

Located on an elevated viaduct between Tin Shui Wai and Siu Hong stations, Hung Shui Kiu station will be built as two separate 210-metre-long, 15-metre-wide station structures, each weighing around 10,000 tonnes.

The railway operator's Capital Works Director Carl Devlin said Tuen Ma Line services will face no more than two days of disruption during each skidding operation next year, when the two massive prefabricated pieces are guided into place along a track system.

The stations that will face brief service disruptions are Tuen Mun, Siu Hong, and Tin Shui Wai stations.

“The two largest station structures on both sides of the viaduct will be progressively skidded under strict controls from the assembly location, which is approximately 30 metres away from the viaduct, until they reach the final position meeting exactly the existing viaduct structure,” Devlin said.

“These skidding operations will take place in the late first quarter and the third quarter of next year, respectively.”

Devlin stressed that on-site trials will take place beforehand, leaving "absolutely no room for error". A full suite of testing and follow-up work will be conducted once the structures are installed.

He highlighted that building away from the existing tracks allows most of the construction to happen during normal service hours with minimal risk.

“As a result, we can significantly minimise our reliance on the restrictive “golden two hours” work window for station construction and adopt a much more flexible and efficient schedule,” he said.

“More importantly, this approach interfaces with the Tuen Ma Line only during the final skidding procedure, substantially reducing the risks associated with performing in-situ construction on an active viaduct and the potential impact on railway operations.”

The MTR expects Hung Shui Kiu Station to open in 2030.


Edited by Aaron Tam