HK activists try to stop high-speed rail link to Guangzhou
- Source: Global Times
- [02:57 January 13 2010]
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But some politicians and academics said the rail project is necessary to integrate Hong Kong and the mainland.
At present, it takes about 90 minutes to travel by train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou. The new railway would make it possible to go from Hong Kong to Shibi, Guangzhou in 48 minutes. The rail link is expected to carry 99,000 passengers per day by 2016.
Executive Council convener Leung Chun-ying told reporters Tuesday that Hong Kong would be marginalized if there is no rail network connecting the city with the mainland.
Executive councilor Ronald Arculli said the rail project will be beneficial to Hong Kong's economic development, and it is more environmental-friendly than buses and air travel.
Yeung Yue-man, former director of the Asia-Pacific Research Institute at the Chinese University, said the development of Hong Kong would be affected without the railway.
"The mainland will be covered by high-speed railway in five to 10 years. If Hong Kong does nothing, people will choose to do business in Shenzhen instead of Hong Kong," he told Time Weekly.
A poll conducted by the City University of Hong Kong in May revealed that 84 percent of the 1,000 respondents supported the project.
