Key facts
- Hong Kong's Executive Council approved the financial arrangement for Part 2 of the Northern Link on November 10, 2026.
- The Transport and Logistics Bureau and MTR Corporation signed the full project agreement the same day.
- Total construction cost is estimated at about HK$86.2 billion, 28% below the original estimate.
- The Part 2 cost was verified at about HK$54.8 billion at July 2025 prices.
- The project includes a 10.7-kilometer main line with five stations and a roughly 6-kilometer spur line with three stations.
- The government targets simultaneous commissioning of both lines by 2034 or sooner.
Hong Kong's Transport and Logistics Bureau and MTR Corporation signed a project agreement on November 10, 2026, for the full Northern Link rail project, after the Chief Executive in Council approved the financial arrangement for its second phase. The government said the total estimated construction cost is about HK$86.2 billion (US$10.99 billion), 28% below the original estimate. The Part 2 cost alone was verified at about HK$54.8 billion at July 2025 prices.
The project includes a 10.7-kilometer underground main line with five stations and a roughly 6-kilometer spur line with three stations, including a terminal at Huanggang Port in Shenzhen. The government targets simultaneous commissioning of both lines by 2034 or sooner. It said peak-hour travel time between Kam Sheung Road and Kwu Tung will fall from 60 minutes to 12 minutes, and between San Tin and Huanggang Port to about 11 minutes.
Under a "Rail-plus-Property" model, the Executive Council approved the grant of eight sites to MTR Corporation for residential and commercial development. The government will deduct a fixed lump sum from the full market value of the land premium as financial support for Part 2. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said the project will serve as the main public transport backbone for Northern Metropolis development areas, link the Tuen Ma and East Rail lines into a loop, and connect to Huanggang Port to integrate Hong Kong and Shenzhen metro networks.