Infrastructure serves various purposes apart from the obvious provision of transport, power, water, communications, etc.
Most dramatically, it can help alleviate poverty which in this past quarter century has declined in spectacular fashion in China (which comprises most of East Asia & Pacific per the World Bank in its updated report to be issued on 17 October, below left):
Transport infrastructure also creates value in adjoining real estate and can be big on symbolism. Indeed, the first of two big symbols for Hong Kong opened on 23 September, namely the HK to Shenzhen Express Rail Link (XRL).
Geographically, it is insignificant, contributing a mere 26 km to the 27,000 km of China Rail High speed (CRH) network already built (above right). In almost every other respect, though, it is anything but insignificant. Controversies have abounded, sometimes unfairly so. Completion of the glittering terminus in West Kowloon and rail link in tunnel all the way to Futian in Shenzhen was three years late (hardly unusual); villagers were upset at having to move (again, hardly unusual); tunnels leak (all tunnels leak); queuing to buy a ticket can take longer than the journey to Guangzhou (teething problems); the “co-location” of common customs, immigration and quarantine control facilities in the West Kowloon terminus was perceived as extending Mainland law into HK (looked at another way, passengers heading north get to encounter these 14 minutes earlier than they would anyway so what really is the problem?); there is little luggage permitted (hmm …); and no sleeper trains are planned so the eight hour trip to Beijing involves sleeping upright as if in economy class or, better perhaps, taking a day to gaze contentedly out of the window.
No one knows how many people will use the link – 52,000 passed through the West Kowloon on the first day of Golden Week (Sunday) versus 80,000 budgeted – but it’s early days yet. Either way, on narrow economic grounds, they are unlikely to generate a reasonable return on the thumping HK$85 billion (US$11 billion) cost which came in at a third over budget. Can this cost / design / size be justified? The link does open HK up to the enormous network over the border for millions of citizens and vice versa. Travel by rail will be a lot more pleasant than flying, subject as this is to regular delays because the military won’t share its considerable air space. And geopolitically, the HK – Shenzhen link is hugely symbolic in that it binds HK further to the Mainland and its Greater Bay Area, previously known as the Pearl River Delta.
Thus overall, it is probably worthwhile. The same cannot be said of the second big transport symbol, the HK – Zhuhai – Macau bridge, which might open next month.
