On 3 October 2025,  MTR Corporation held a ceremony to officially launch the Northern Link project – a major railway infrastructure in Hong Kong that will form the backbone of mass transportation in the Northern Metropolis development, connecting the East Rail Line and Tuen Ma Line, as well as establishing a rail link to Shenzhen’s Huanggang Port. The event took place at the Shui Mei Road project site in Yuen Long, the location of the first large-scale tunnel boring machine (TBM) launching shaft for this Northern Link project.

Following the recent signing of the Northern Link (Part 1) project agreement, MTR is progressing at full speed with the construction works of the Northern Link Main Line, as well as the detailed planning and design for the Northern Link Spur Line. Hong Kong’s Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mable Chan, highlighted the importance of this new railway network: “The Northern Link is not only a landmark infrastructure project in the Northern Metropolis but also a transport artery connecting the population across the area, providing vital support for development.”

“The Main Line of the Northern Link will become the public transport backbone for multiple new development zones in the Northern Metropolis, and, together with the existing East Rail Line and Tuen Ma line, will form a loop railway connecting the New Territories and Kowloon urban area. This will significantly enhance the railway network’s coverage and resilience,” she explained. “The Spur Line will connect to the new Huanggang Port, providing a convenient ‘co-location arrangement’ immigration clearance mode, linking Hong Kong and Shenzhen’s metro networks.”

Dr Rex Auyeung, chairman of MTR Corporation, added, “The Northern Metropolis is a new growth engine for Hong Kong’s future economic development, and rail remains the city’s efficient and reliable public transport backbone. The Northern Link will not only greatly enhance accessibility within the Northern Metropolis but also deepen Hong Kong’s cross-boundary connections with the mainland.

“Among the multiple railway projects in the Northern Metropolis, construction at Kwu Tung Station on the East Rail Line and Hung Shui Kiu Station on the Tuen Ma Line is progressing well. [MTR] Corporation will adopt innovative technologies and efficient project management to drive the Northern Link project forward, towards the target for the synchronised opening of both the Main Line and Spur Line by no later than 2034.”

Out of the many railway projects MTR is currently constructing, the Northern Link is the largest in scale. The Northern Link Main Line will connect the East Rail Line and Tuen Ma Line, while the Spur Line will provide direct rail access to Shenzhen’s Huanggang Port, becoming Hong Kong’s third direct cross-boundary railway link. The project must overcome various challenges, including difficult geology, proximity to multiple new development areas, and proximity of the existing railway facilities when building interchange stations.

MTR and the Hong Kong Government are collaborating closely to advance the Main Line and Spur Line works, maximising synergy and simultaneously progressing the detailed planning and design for the Spur Line, aiming for the synchronised opening of both lines by no later than 2034.

Under the Northern Link (Part 1) project agreement, MTR is currently advancing certain Main Line construction works, including Kwu Tung, Au Tau and Kam Sheung Road stations; the tunnels from Kwu Tung to San Tin, and Au Tau to Kam Sheung Road and related railway facilities. The Shui Mei Road construction site marks the first TBM launching shaft, signalling the official commencement of the major works of the project.

Image: MTR Corporation