ConstructioNews
Vol. 35 No. 4 (03-2026)
Northern Link - The major transport infrastructure facilitating the development of the Northern Metropolis
Among the multiple railway projects MTR is currently constructing, the Northern Link is the largest in scale. The Northern Link Main Line will connect the East Rail Line and Tuen Ma Line, while the Spur Line will provide direct rail access to Shenzhen’s Huanggang Port, becoming Hong Kong’s third direct cross-boundary railway link. The Northern Link Project Kick-off Ceremony was held in October 2025, marking another major milestone following the signing of the Northern Link (Phase 1) Project Agreement in July 2025. This signifies that this massive railway project has now fully commenced.
Components of the Northern Link project
(I) Kwu Tung Station on the East Rail Line
Between Lok Ma Chau and Sheung Shui stations, Kwu Tung Station on the East Rail Line will be located at the junction of the existing Ma Tso Lung Road and Ho Sheung Heung Road, which is also the town centre of the future Kwu Tung North New Development Area. Once the Northern Link is completed, Kwu Tung Station will be upgraded to an interchange station, allowing passengers to easily transfer between the East Rail Line and the Northern Link.
A topping-out ceremony was held on 19 November 2025, signifying the substantial completion of civil works of Kwu Tung Station on the East Rail Line. The station’s topping out marks an important milestone in the project’s construction, and the project will now fully enter the electrical and mechanical (E&M) works stage.
The project team will continue to leverage the “Golden Two Hours” after daily train services conclude to expedite internal fitting-out, as well as E&M and building services installations while minimizing the impact to daily operations. These works include installation of lifts, escalators, communication facilities, signalling systems, tunnel ventilation, overhead lines, and other systems. Comprehensive integrated testing between different systems will also be conducted to ensure seamless and reliable operation upon commissioning.
Kwu Tung Station on the East Rail Line is targeted for completion in 2027, at which time it will become the 100th station serving the public under the MTR network.
(II) Northern Link Main Line
The Northern Link Main Line is a 10.7-km-long railway, linking the existing Kam Sheung Road Station of the Tuen Ma Line and the future Kwu Tung Station, with two terminal and three intermediate stations in San Tin, Ngau Tam Mei and Au Tau. It will provide efficient and reliable railway services in the Northern New Territories to meet the transport demand of new population along the railway alignment in the Northern Metropolis. It will also form a railway loop with the existing Tuen Ma Line and East Rail Line, thereby greatly improving the transport connectivity between New Territories East and New Territories West.
(III) Northern Link Spur Line
The Northern Link Spur Line will be a cross-boundary bifurcation of the Northern Link Main Line, linking San Tin Station on the Northern Link Main Line with the new Huanggang Port in Shenzhen. The total length of the spur line is 6.2 kilometres with three new stations to be established along the Spur Line, including Chau Tau Station and the Loop Station in Hong Kong as well as the new Huanggang Port Station in Shenzhen, providing direct connectivity between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Following the East Rail Line's Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau stations, Huanggang Port Station will become the third cross-boundary railway checkpoint, offering another option for cross-boundary travel.
A Fully Underground Alignment
After comprehensively considering future development and balancing expectations for community benefits, the project team decided to adopt a "fully underground alignment" for the entire line. There are three main reasons for this:
(1) Releasing land and development space: In a city as dense as Hong Kong, building the railway in underground tunnels frees up precious surface land, allowing for more flexible planning for housing, economic, and community facilities in the Northern Metropolis;
(2) Reducing construction impact: Compared to above-ground or elevated alignments, underground construction significantly reduces the impact on existing communities, commercial activities, and road traffic;
(3) Protecting the ecology: An underground railway alignment helps to protect the area's ecological resources as much as possible and minimizes disturbance to the surface ecosystem.
The geological condition of Hong Kong is complex and varied, with hard rock formations as well as softer alluvial deposits or mixed ground, not all of which are suitable for railway tunnel construction. Technically, new railway tunnels must also meet various design standards, such as avoiding steep gradients and sharp curvatures to ensure the safety of the railway. The engineering team also needs to adopt different underground construction methods based on varying geological conditions to minimise surface excavation and reduce the impact on the community and road traffic.
Phased commencement of tunnel and station works
The engineering team is pushing ahead with parts of the Main Line works at full steam. The first key task is the construction of the first TBM launching shaft, located at Shui Mei Road in Yuen Long, which will be the starting point for the future Au Tau to Kam Sheung Road tunnel section.
The engineering team will proceed with constructing the diaphragm wall, followed by excavation and construction of the shaft structure. This massive shaft, several tens of metres deep, will be the place where the TBM is later lowered and assembled. At that time, the enormous components of the TBM will be delivered to the site one by one and undergo precise assembly work inside the shaft, preparing for the start of the tunneling works.
Targeting completion no later than 2034
The Government and MTR Corporation are implementing integrated planning for the Northern Link project, covering both the main line and spur line to maximize synergy. Main line construction has been kicked started ahead of time while undergoing detailed planning and design of the spur line simultaneously. This approach will enhance time and cost efficiency, with the goal of opening both lines concurrently by no later than 2034.
Source of Information and Pictures: Northern Link Project Website & New Railway Projects Website of MTR Corporation Limited
Components of the Northern Link project
(I) Kwu Tung Station on the East Rail Line
Between Lok Ma Chau and Sheung Shui stations, Kwu Tung Station on the East Rail Line will be located at the junction of the existing Ma Tso Lung Road and Ho Sheung Heung Road, which is also the town centre of the future Kwu Tung North New Development Area. Once the Northern Link is completed, Kwu Tung Station will be upgraded to an interchange station, allowing passengers to easily transfer between the East Rail Line and the Northern Link.
A topping-out ceremony was held on 19 November 2025, signifying the substantial completion of civil works of Kwu Tung Station on the East Rail Line. The station’s topping out marks an important milestone in the project’s construction, and the project will now fully enter the electrical and mechanical (E&M) works stage.
The project team will continue to leverage the “Golden Two Hours” after daily train services conclude to expedite internal fitting-out, as well as E&M and building services installations while minimizing the impact to daily operations. These works include installation of lifts, escalators, communication facilities, signalling systems, tunnel ventilation, overhead lines, and other systems. Comprehensive integrated testing between different systems will also be conducted to ensure seamless and reliable operation upon commissioning.
Kwu Tung Station on the East Rail Line is targeted for completion in 2027, at which time it will become the 100th station serving the public under the MTR network.
(II) Northern Link Main Line
The Northern Link Main Line is a 10.7-km-long railway, linking the existing Kam Sheung Road Station of the Tuen Ma Line and the future Kwu Tung Station, with two terminal and three intermediate stations in San Tin, Ngau Tam Mei and Au Tau. It will provide efficient and reliable railway services in the Northern New Territories to meet the transport demand of new population along the railway alignment in the Northern Metropolis. It will also form a railway loop with the existing Tuen Ma Line and East Rail Line, thereby greatly improving the transport connectivity between New Territories East and New Territories West.
(III) Northern Link Spur Line
The Northern Link Spur Line will be a cross-boundary bifurcation of the Northern Link Main Line, linking San Tin Station on the Northern Link Main Line with the new Huanggang Port in Shenzhen. The total length of the spur line is 6.2 kilometres with three new stations to be established along the Spur Line, including Chau Tau Station and the Loop Station in Hong Kong as well as the new Huanggang Port Station in Shenzhen, providing direct connectivity between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Following the East Rail Line's Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau stations, Huanggang Port Station will become the third cross-boundary railway checkpoint, offering another option for cross-boundary travel.
A Fully Underground Alignment
After comprehensively considering future development and balancing expectations for community benefits, the project team decided to adopt a "fully underground alignment" for the entire line. There are three main reasons for this:
(1) Releasing land and development space: In a city as dense as Hong Kong, building the railway in underground tunnels frees up precious surface land, allowing for more flexible planning for housing, economic, and community facilities in the Northern Metropolis;
(2) Reducing construction impact: Compared to above-ground or elevated alignments, underground construction significantly reduces the impact on existing communities, commercial activities, and road traffic;
(3) Protecting the ecology: An underground railway alignment helps to protect the area's ecological resources as much as possible and minimizes disturbance to the surface ecosystem.
The geological condition of Hong Kong is complex and varied, with hard rock formations as well as softer alluvial deposits or mixed ground, not all of which are suitable for railway tunnel construction. Technically, new railway tunnels must also meet various design standards, such as avoiding steep gradients and sharp curvatures to ensure the safety of the railway. The engineering team also needs to adopt different underground construction methods based on varying geological conditions to minimise surface excavation and reduce the impact on the community and road traffic.
Phased commencement of tunnel and station works
The engineering team is pushing ahead with parts of the Main Line works at full steam. The first key task is the construction of the first TBM launching shaft, located at Shui Mei Road in Yuen Long, which will be the starting point for the future Au Tau to Kam Sheung Road tunnel section.
The engineering team will proceed with constructing the diaphragm wall, followed by excavation and construction of the shaft structure. This massive shaft, several tens of metres deep, will be the place where the TBM is later lowered and assembled. At that time, the enormous components of the TBM will be delivered to the site one by one and undergo precise assembly work inside the shaft, preparing for the start of the tunneling works.
Targeting completion no later than 2034
The Government and MTR Corporation are implementing integrated planning for the Northern Link project, covering both the main line and spur line to maximize synergy. Main line construction has been kicked started ahead of time while undergoing detailed planning and design of the spur line simultaneously. This approach will enhance time and cost efficiency, with the goal of opening both lines concurrently by no later than 2034.
Source of Information and Pictures: Northern Link Project Website & New Railway Projects Website of MTR Corporation Limited