ABSTRACT
A well-established range of modes is available for the development of a city's public transport network, including the various members of the motor bus family, electric trolley buses, tramway, light rail transit, monorail and guideway transit systems, suburban railways, and light and heavy metros. Operational and alignment constraints inevitably feature strongly in the selection of mass transit railway station locations. Railway planning in association with adjacent urban developments, particularly in the form of pedestrian walkways, can integrate and enhance transport and pedestrian movements. Railway construction is capital intensive and thus generally requires considerable investment. The Hong Kong government derives considerable economic benefits from the improved mobility that a railway affords, not only in terms of passenger travel but even in terms of freight movement. The dividends so retained in the railway business can be used as a basis for borrowing, with an ensuing multiplier effect.
