Chief Executive Carrie Lam today visited Wan Chai North to view the newly constructed Exhibition Centre Station of the East Rail Line cross-harbour extension which will start service on May 15.

Aiming to understand the preparatory work for the extension's upcoming service commencement, Mrs Lam also toured the reprovisioned facilities nearby that were part of the project’s construction works.

She visited Exhibition Centre Station's platforms and concourse and received a briefing from MTR Corporation representatives on the station’s facilities and features.

A three-level underground station on the extension of the current East Rail Line, Exhibition Centre Station connects Hung Hom and Admiralty stations, and is one of the newly constructed stations along the Shatin to Central Link.

Mrs Lam noted that various elements had been integrated into the station's design, including works by local artists displayed at the station concourse and platforms, and exhibition panels detailing the East Rail Line’s history of over 100 years.

There are also exhibits showcasing the challenges posed to the construction of the cross-harbour extension, such as the casing of a World War II bomb discovered in the course of excavation work.

In addition, the station’s various exits connect to a network of footbridges, a public transport interchange and Harbour Road Sports Centre.

These public facilities provide greater convenience to railway passengers, in particular when mega events are held at the Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Mrs Lam then visited Wan Chai Swimming Pool under the Leisure & Cultural Services Department.

To facilitate the station’s construction, Wan Chai Swimming Pool and Harbour Road Sports Centre were reprovisioned next to their original sites. The original buildings were only demolished after the works were completed.

The new swimming pool and the new sports centre, with five storeys, opened in 2015 and 2017. Their environmentally friendly designs earned them the Hong Kong Green Building Council's BEAM Plus New Buildings Gold rating.

Mrs Lam also toured the Police Officers’ Club in Causeway Bay, which was also reprovisioned in the course of the railway project’s construction. The original club was built in the 1980s and demolished in 2015. The club was reprovisioned at its original site and reopened late last year.

The Chief Executive said the commencement of the East Rail Line cross-harbour extension on May 15 marks the completion of the whole Shatin to Central Link project, as well as an important milestone in Hong Kong’s railway development.

Passengers will be able to directly travel from the New Territories North to the business and trading, exhibition and financial centre in the vicinity of Wan Chai North and Admiralty, with more commuting convenience, Mrs Lam added.