MTR Corporation Limited - Execution of entrustment agreement for the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link

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Slaughter and May, Hong Kong office, advised MTR Corporation Limited in relation to its execution of an entrustment agreement with the Government of Hong Kong for the construction and commissioning of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link. The agreement governs the construction of a 26 kilometre high-speed rail link between central Hong Kong and the border with Mainland China at Shenzhen, including procuring the construction of railway tunnels, railway stations, rolling stock and associated public infrastructure works and testing and commissioning the completed railway.

The 142 kilometre Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link will provide services from a new terminus at West Kowloon in Hong Kong to Shibi in Guangzhou, via Shenzhen and Dongguan. The link will also connect to the national express rail network which will provide long haul services to other major cities in the Mainland.

The project is one of the largest public infrastructure projects ever undertaken in Hong Kong with a total project cost estimated to be HK$66.8 billion (approximately, US$8.6 billion). All financing for the project is being provided directly by the Government of Hong Kong, which expects approximately 10,000 people to be employed during the construction phase (between 2010 and 2015).

The agreement was executed on 26 January 2010.

Jason Webber (partner), Philip Bownes (associate), Roger Cheng (associate)