Looks like the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-HK high-speed railway is running into more issues. The MTR Corporation has released new estimates for the cross-border railway that’s already been delayed by two years. They’re now saying that the total cost for the project will be a hefty HKD71.52 billion, a 10% increase over their previous estimates.
The corporation says they need a bigger budget for more manpower, more contractors and for contingency plans in case of “events such as unforeseen site conditions”. It’s unknown whether it will be the government or the corporation that will foot the bill for the extra spending.
A spokesperson for the corporation said they would “keep expenditure to the minimum necessary”, although they admitted more increases in the future are possible.
The government has asked for more details to ensure that the budget increase is justified.
