香港特別行政區政府

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

政府總部 Works Branch

發展局 Development Bureau
工務科 Government Secretariat

18/F, West Wing,

香港添馬添美道2號
Central Government Offices,
2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar,
政 府 總 部 西 翼 1 8樓 Hong Kong

Ref. : DEVB(W) 710/83/01

Group : 16

31 July 2019

Development Bureau
Technical Circular (Works) No. 1/2019

Railway Protection

Scope

This Circular promulgates the guidelines for planning and undertaking

public works and maintenance works within the Railway Protection Area1 (“the Area”).

2. Transport and Housing Bureau and MTR Corporation Limited have been
consulted and agreed to the content of this Circular.

Effective Date

3. This Circular takes immediate effect.

Effect on Existing Circulars

4. This Circular supersedes WBTC No. 19/2002, ETWB TC(W) No. 33/2003
and ETWB TC(W) No. 2/2005, which are hereby cancelled.

1
The Railway Protection Area is defined in Buildings Department’s “Practice Note for Authorized Persons,
Registered Structural Engineers and Registered Geotechnical Engineers – No. APP-24”, and the respective
definition is replicated in paragraph 6 of this Circular.

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Background

5. Upon the merger of the Mass Transit Railway and Kowloon-Canton

Railway systems on 2 December 2007, Mass Transit Railway Corporation Limited
(MTRCL) became the operator of all the railway lines in the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region, including those new railway lines and extension lines which
came into operation in recent years.

6. As a general guide, the boundary of the Area is about 30 m outside the outer
surface of the railway structures or the railway fence/wall, or from the nearest rail if there
is no railway fence/wall, but it encompasses the whole of any lot where any part thereof
lies within the 30 m distance. At railway stations, the boundary of the Area is more
extensive2.

Policy

Liaison with MTRCL for Works within the Area

7. No capital works or maintenance works (e.g. construction works, ground

investigation, utility works), including tree planting works, shall take place within the
Area unless the works proposals have been forwarded to MTRCL for comment and
stipulation of any measures necessary to protect the railways.

8. Works Departments shall check whether any part of their capital works
or maintenance works, including tree planting works, falls within the Area. In case of
any doubt as to whether the proposed works will have an effect on the railway, Works
Departments should liaise with MTRCL.

9. For any proposed works within the Area, Works Departments shall liaise
with MTRCL to minimise any potential/possible interference of the proposed works to
railway operation. Where necessary, Works Departments shall consult MTRCL on
various issues such as details of works proposals, protective measures, construction
methods, monitoring mechanisms and maintenance requirements. In designing any
structure spanning over a railway, Works Departments shall take account of the relevant
requirements in the “Structures Design Manual for Highways and Railways” issued by
the Highways Department.

2 The railway protection areas of some of the railway lines are designated as Area No. 3 of the scheduled areas
in Schedule 5 to the Buildings Ordinance. Copies of these plans can be downloaded from the Buildings
Department’s website ([Link]
Also, a whole set of the plans showing the railway protection areas are available for inspection in MTRCL.
They can also be downloaded from MTRCL’s website
([Link]

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Openings adjacent to Railway Vent Shafts

10. When planning projects or works in close proximity to railway vent shafts,
openings of the new structures (e.g. operable or fixed windows, doorways, building
ventilation system intakes or exhausts) should not be located closer than 5 m to the vent
shaft irrespective of whether the vent shaft is free standing or is accommodated in a
structure. Subject to the compliance with relevant statutory requirements, this distance
may be reduced to 2.5 m provided that the exhaust air from the railway vent shaft is
directed away from and is not likely to affect the openings by natural convection. Advice
should be sought from MTRCL where necessary.

Tree Planting within the Area

11. For tree planting works within the Area, the respective planting proposal
shall be sent to MTRCL for comment. The tree planting proposal shall provide an
estimation of the sizes (including height and spread width at maturity) of the proposed
trees where possible. The tree planting locations should be agreed by MTRCL such that
collapse of tree trunk or branches (reaching the maturity stage) would not affect railway
operation, including the supporting facilities (e.g. power supply, signalling system). In
addition, trees should not be planted at a distance less than 2 m away from the nearest rail
of the unfenced railway section. In this connection, MTRCL has agreed to take a more
flexible and balanced approach where practicable in considering such proposal.

Contract Provisions

12. When carrying out any works within the Area, the respective public works
contracts for which tenders are invited after the promulgation of this Circular shall include
the following contract provisions at Appendices A, B and C.

(a) the “Notes to Tenderers for Works within the Railway Protection Area” at
Appendix A to this Circular;

(b) the “Special Conditions of Contract for Works within the Railway
Protection Area” at Appendix B to this Circular; and

(c) the “Particular Specification for Works within the Railway Protection Area”
at Appendix C to this Circular.

13. The “Technical Notes for Guidance in Assessing the Effects of Civil
Engineering Construction/Building Development on Railway Structures and Operations”
(“Technical Notes”) at Annex 1(PS) of Appendix C to this Circular are modelled on
“Appendix A” of the Buildings Department’s “Practice Note for Authorised Persons,
Registered Structural Engineers and Registered Geotechnical Engineers – No. APP-24”,
which provides guidance on the measures and requirements necessary to protect the
railways. The Technical Notes are to be used for guidance only and should apply mutatis
mutandis, taking cognisance of the nature of the proposed works.

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14. Works Departments shall clearly delineate on the contract drawings the
details of works access to and within the Area, as well as area of the site within which the
Special Conditions of Contract and the Particular Specification as described in
paragraph 12 above shall apply.

Execution of Works

15. Works Departments shall make every effort to ensure that all necessary
measures are taken at all times by the Contractor to protect the railway
structures/installations, particularly the power supply facilities (e.g. overhead cables) and
the signalling system.

16. Works Departments shall request the Contractor to complete “MTRCL’s

Indemnity Form” at Annex 3(PS) and “Letter of Undertaking” at Annex 4(PS) of
Appendix C to this Circular before entering into railway premises or working in the
vicinity of at-grade or overhead railway structures/installations.

17. Works Departments shall arrange to monitor movement and vibration on

railway structures/installations if so requested by MTRCL. The relevant monitoring
records should be sent to MTRCL. Works Departments shall ensure the Supervising
Officer/Engineer/Architect to submit proposal to MTRCL six weeks in advance of the
commencement of any works within the Area for planning of an appropriate monitoring
programme. Works Departments shall closely liaise with MTRCL on the results of
monitoring and take appropriate action as deemed necessary.

18. Any other necessary monitoring within the construction site (e.g.
monitoring of groundwater level) shall be carried out by the Supervising
Officer/Engineer/Architect, who should liaise closely with MTRCL. All parties should
keep each other informed of the monitoring records as soon as practicable.

Exemption

19. Exemption is given to those works involving only ground breaking and
excavation not exceeding 1 m deep within the Area under the following conditions,
provided that MTRCL has been advised of the works in advance:

(a) outside an area not less than 6 m from at-grade railway tracks and station
entrances; or
(b) outside the areas bounded by railway fence/wall.

20. The provisions in this Circular do not apply to emergency works, which
include urgent repair works to existing utility services, water mains, stormwater drains,
sewers, roads, slopes, street furniture and highway structures or emergency tree
maintenance/clearance works, if these works fall outside the railway premises but within
the Area. However, MTRCL should be advised of these works including the location and

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depth of excavation as soon as possible.

Enquiries

21. Enquiries on this Circular should be addressed to Chief Assistant

Secretary (Works) 3.

( LAM Sai-hung )
Permanent Secretary for Development (Works)

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