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MTR/KCR Interchange7.2.14 A key transport interchange is that between the KCR and MTR at Kowloon long. In1986, it was estimated that 77000 persons per day changed between MTR andKCR lines at this station; this volume grew to 130000 by 1988. The rapid recentgrowth can be attributed to a number of factors, including continuing developmentof the Northeast New Territories, and recent increases in train frequency and in thenumber of carriages assigned to trains. However, it is also probably linked to achange in travel mode brought about by road congestion on the Lion Rock andCross-harbour tunnels. The opening of the Eastern Harbour Crossing in 1989 andthe Tate's Cairn tunnel in 1991 should therefore bring some relief to the situation.7.2.15 It is not certain how further growth in interchanging passengers beyond the levelreferred to above could be accommodated; expensive re-construction would berequired and engineering feasibility for this has not yet been established. New urbanrail lines providing alternative locations for an KCR/MTR interchange would providean answer; some rail projects which would relieve the Kowloon Tong interchangeproblem are evaluated later in this chapter.7.3 Rail Evaluations7.3.1 CTS-2 examined a large number of new rail projects, both extending the rail systemto major communities not yet reached by rail, and supplementing the rail servicesalready serving the main urban area. In deciding whether or not to recommend aninvestment in an expensive project such as a railway line, it was necessary to weighall the factors involved in an objective manner. The key factors are summarised inthis section.Projected Patronage7.3.2 Clearly the likely patronage of a new rail line is crucial to the evaluation. Patronagedepends on many things, including:(1) the size and density of population and employment centres served by the newline(2) fare levels and whether passengers are able to pay the fares(3) relative travel times and fares by alternative means of transport(4) the general propensity to travel by rail which is linked to the comfort, reliabilityand convenience of rail relative to other modes7.3.3 Ail these factors are accounted for in the computerised CTS transport model (seeChapter 2) used to prepare the passenger projections.Light or Heavy Rail7.3.4 Rail systems are often classified as either light' or 'heavy'. A heavy rail system impliesstandard gauge tracks in a segregated right-of-way, limited stops at fully providedstations, high speed running, control by sophisticated signalling, and long trainswith high passenger carrying capacity. Both the MTR and KCR are heavy railsystems.7.3.5 Almost any rail system built to lower standards than heavy rail is classified as a lightrailway, The technical attributes are hard to define as the mode occupies a broadspectrum between the street tramway (such as the Hongkong Tramways) and fullheavy rail. Typically, though, light rail systems imply short trains (often singlevehicles), rail tracks laid in or by the side of roads, frequent halts at stops littledifferent from bus stops, speeds similar to that of other traffic and driver controlbased on traffic conditions and ordinary traffic signals.7.3.6 Heavy rail systems are expensive, especially in urban areas, since tracks must besegregated often requiring overhead or underground construction and both curves122