Kai Tak has become a world-class destination after years of effort to turn the former Hong Kong airport site into a sporting and entertainment hub with a cruise terminal, housing and commercial spaces. However, third-class transit continues to hold it back. A solution to that problem now seems firmly on track.

The city’s key decision-making body has approved plans for an elevated mass transit railway system to connect major facilities in the area with the MTR network. Ideally, the project will serve as a model for more agile, multi-modal transport citywide.

The Smart and Green Mass Transit System in Kai Tak (SGMTS-KT) bridges a gap between vision and reality for an area that many have embraced despite access options limited to buses, taxis or brisk walks. By 2031, visitors and residents will have a 3.5km (2.2-mile) transit system running from Kai Tak Cruise Terminal to Kai Tak MTR station. A complete journey will take only 10 minutes, with stops at Shing King Street, Kai Tak Sky Garden, Shing Fung Road Park and Kai Tak Sports Park. The line is expected to serve 50,000 people per day.

A monorail system for the area was initially proposed in 2012, with plans to link Kai Tak to more areas, including Kwun Tong and Kowloon Bay. The proposal was dropped in late 2020 after HK$90 million (US$11.5 million) was spent on feasibility studies.

Authorities cited concerns about its HK$12 billion price tag and fears it would be “severely constrained by adjacent congested developments”. Alternative proposals for a mix of bus and minibus routes, moving walkways, promenades and open spaces for pedestrians and cyclists were deemed inadequate to keep up with area growth. Then in his 2024 policy address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced that the project would be revived.

The hi-tech elevated alternative now being planned promises to be a more eco-friendly transport solution. An open tender for the project was launched last October, and the selected franchisee will need to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain the system. Development rights will be offered to help ensure the project is self-sustaining.