Express Rail Link West Kowloon Terminus
Located in the heart of Hong Kong and equipped with fifteen tracks, West Kowloon Terminus (WKT) is a multi-level underground station with a footprint of over 10 hectares (25 acres), and is the largest underground facility of its kind.
Being the southernmost terminus of the national 22,000 km long high-speed passenger rail network, WKT forms the gateway to Mainland China, directly connecting Hong Kong to other major hubs in the country. With its distinctive architectural and landmark features as well as user-friendly layout, WKT is characterized by arching fins, abundant natural daylighting, and covered with pedestrian paths and green roofs. It functions more like an international airport than a rail station, and accommodates co-located HKSAR and Mainland boundary control facilities. At its peak, the terminus will serve up to approximately 109,000 passengers on their journeys on the Express Rail Link daily.
Following its successful completion of the Preliminary Design for WKT, AECOM was commissioned to undertake the scheme design and detailed design of the terminus in joint venture with Aedas. AECOM led a major multi-disciplined collaborative effort amongst HK Transportation, Geotechnical, Building Engineering, Water, Landscape and Environment and the China Delivery Center.
Built on reclaimed land, the scale of excavation and structure of this underground project was one of the largest in the civil engineering history of Hong Kong. AECOM's foundation design effectively addressed the complex location of the site, which lies between two railway stations to the north of the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), with large scale high-rise property development above. How to build a major railway terminus 30m underground, and create an iconic urban landmark at the same time, was the key challenge for our team. AECOM addressed this challenge by adopting an innovative architectural and structural design to create a large volume capped by a shell-like dome that rises from the earth, capturing daylight and sending it deep underground.
AECOM also played a key role in solving the interface issues with the WKCD during the WKT detailed design. AECOM led the improvement works that are now integrated with the WKT structure, with possible connections to the wider WKCD internal road system, such as the underpasses along Lin Cheung Road and Austin Road West.
Services provided by AECOM and its Joint Venture partner, Aedas, included Transport Planning and Engineering Design, Passenger Flow Study, Architectural and Landscape Design, Civil, Structural and Geotechnical Engineering Design, Fire Engineering Design, Building Services Engineering Design, Preliminary Design, Scheme Design, and Construction Planning.
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