Two HK railways seek merger possibility

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government received Thursday a joint report by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) and the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) on the outcome of their discussions on merger feasibility.

The report also takes into account plans for a new express line to be built between Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao said the government will conduct further discussions with the corporations and examine their report carefully before deciding onthe way forward on the possible merger.

"This is still early stage about a possible rail merger. There is no definitive timetable at this stage," said Liao.

She said that if all goes smoothly, it would still take a few months to complete the assessment and come to a view on the way forward.

Liao expected that a merger of the two railway corporations could provide an opportunity for synergism and more effective utilization of resources for the two corporations.

Source: Xinhua