MTR uses prefabrication to build Hung Shui Kiu station on live railway
MTR is building Hung Shui Kiu station on the Tuen Ma Line using offsite prefabrication to minimise disruption. Two 10,000-tonne steel halves will be skidded into place, reducing reliance on the nightly two-hour construction window.
MTR has devised an innovative method to construct the new Hung Shui Kiu station on the Tuen Ma Line while the railway remains in operation. The station, needed between Tin Shui Wai and Siu Hong to serve the growing community in the northern New Territories, is being built using prefabricated components assembled offsite before being moved into position.
Construction on a live railway typically requires work to be confined to the “golden two hours” at night when services cease. Preparatory works for Hung Shui Kiu, including the removal of parapets and relocation of overhead line overlaps, were conducted section by section over more than 200 nights during these windows.
MTR’s approach involves constructing the main station box in two halves, each measuring 210 metres long and 15 metres wide and weighing 10,000 tonnes. These massive steel structures are fabricated offsite in smaller components and assembled in yards about 30 metres from the viaduct. Once ready, they will be skidded into their final position using hydraulic jacks.
After the station box is in place, most architectural finishes, building services, electrical and mechanical systems, and automatic platform gates can be installed during normal working hours. Hoardings will segregate the operating railway from the construction area, allowing testing and commissioning to take place in daytime rather than being limited to the two-hour overnight window.
According to veteran engineer Edmund Leung, writing in The Standard, this method reduces risks by clearly defining the interface between construction and operations. It also improves efficiency by minimising the restrictions imposed by the two-hour window. The technique reflects a broader shift from in-situ construction to modular assembly on site, made possible by engineers testing new methods, materials and approaches.