The two major railway companies in Hong Kong announced Wednesday that a new interchange subway linking the two rail networks at Kowloon Tong will open Thursday.

The new 60-meter-long subway will connect a new southern concourse of the Kowloon-Canton Railways Corporation (KCR) KowloonTong Station with a new entrance of the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) Kowloon Tong Station, supplementing the existing subway which links up the two stations.

The new, 1,800-square-meter expanded concourse features a new entrance fitted with 12 new ticket gates and one wide gate and four new shops at the entrance to the subway will serve passengers.

It is anticipated that about 30 percent of the interchanging passengers will use the new subway.

KCRC East Rail Operations General Manager Anthony Yan said: "The opening of the new subway and the new concourse will not only provide better facilities, but also greater convenience for passengers transferring between handling capacity of 300,000 passengers a day and will be able to meet passenger demand for the next 15 years."

Besides the new concourse and the new subway, the KCR Kowloon Tong Station's expansion project also includes the provision of a new entrance on To Fuk Road and the addition of three lifts, five escalators and three staircases.