Hong Kong plans 10km of new roads, 4km of rail within five years
Hong Kong's transport chief outlined plans to add 10km of roads and 4km of rail over five years under the first five-year plan, alongside smart transport initiatives including AI-based traffic management and automated vehicle trials.
Hong Kong's transport network will expand significantly over the next five years, with major roads growing by 10 kilometres to 285km and railway lines extending by about 4km to 275km, the Secretary for Transport and Logistics told the Legislative Council on 8 October.
Speaking during a debate on the city's first five-year plan and the 2026 Policy Address, the secretary said the number of railway stations would increase by seven to 106. He also unveiled plans for 8km of new smart green collective transport systems with 13 stations, describing the period as a leap in both quantity and quality for transport infrastructure.
Under the "eight vertical, eight horizontal" layout, the government is pushing ahead with strategic projects to support development of the Northern Metropolis. The Kwu Tung station is set to open next year, while the Northern Link spur line and main line will be merged and targeted for simultaneous opening by 2034. The Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link (Hung Shui Kiu to Qianhai) is scheduled for completion by 2035.
Road projects include the Tsing Lung Bridge, the southern end of Route 11, with a 2033 target, and the Northern Metropolis Highway (San Tin section), which will open two years early in 2034. The Northern Metropolis will gain nearly 170km of new public roads, including 24km of trunk roads and 144km of district networks.
The secretary also highlighted technology-driven initiatives across four areas: regulating ride-hailing services through completed legislation and a data management system now in testing; scaling up autonomous vehicles with nine pilot licences already issued, some testing without backup operators this year; building an AI-powered traffic management platform as part of a planned "AI city brain"; and introducing demand-responsive public transport with real-time information hubs in the Northern Metropolis.
"The future transport blueprint is a deep integration of infrastructure acceleration and technology empowerment," the secretary said, urging lawmakers to support the vote of thanks.