The target completion date will have to be revised accordingly. So will cost estimates. For Hong Kong residents, the prospect seemed dismayingly familiar. Railway officials maintain that much of the additional expense is beyond their control. But the repeated rises have drawn attention to the corporate lineage of companies that are landing early deals relating to the project.
Critics see other reasons behind the soaring price estimates.
Railway officials counter that whatever money they get from the local administration will be treated as an investment, not a subsidy. The public, for its part, can only hope that politics does not create even bigger traffic jams. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines .