The government and MTR signed the deal to build the Northern Metropolis line, now due to open in full by 2034.
Hong Kong has lowered the estimated cost of the Northern Link, the railway serving its planned Northern Metropolis, by 28% to US$11 billion (HK$86.2 billion), the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday, 10 November, after the Executive Council approved financing for the project's second phase.
The Transport and Logistics Bureau and the MTR Corporation signed the project agreement the same day, which starts construction of both the main line and the spur line. Combining the two into one project, the government said, cut costs and brought the spur's completion forward by two years, so both can open together by 2034 or earlier.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan credited new Hong Kong railway standards that allow wider use of new technology, materials and equipment, and a dedicated Railway Checking Unit that has cut the time for handling building plans by 30 to 50 per cent, according to a government statement. An independent consultant verified the MTR's construction estimate for the second phase at about US$7 billion (HK$54.8 billion) in July 2025 prices; together with the first phase, the whole project comes to about US$11 billion (HK$86.2 billion), the government said.
