Hong Kong’s MTR has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport, to provide consultancy services in railway development, programme and knowledge management to assist in its ambitious plans to build 131km of metro lines and 200km of light rail over the next 10 years. At the same time MTR has announced the appointment of Dr Jacob Kam Chak-pui as Operations Director following the retirement of Mr Andrew McCusker who leaves the Corporation after 22 years.
“This MOU marks the beginning of a relationship that will see the exchange of technical know-how in important areas of railway planning and design between the Department of Transport of Abu Dhabi and MTR,” said Mr Lincoln Leong, Finance & Business Development Director of the MTR Corporation. “We look forward to assisting Abu Dhabi to build a world-class urban railway for its citizens.”
Mr Leong signed the MOU with the Executive Director – Department of Transport of Abu Dhabi His Excellency Mohamed Hareb Al Yousef. His Excellency Saeed H Al Junaibi, Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates in Hong Kong, witnessed the event.
In September 2007, the Government of Abu Dhabi released a comprehensive plan for the development of the city of Abu Dhabi that will guide planning decisions for the next 25 years. As part of this plan, Abu Dhabi aims to build the 131km of metro railway lines and 200km of light rail over the next decade.
The MTR Corporation has also announced the appointment of Dr Jacob Kam Chak-pui as Operations Director with effect from 1 January 2011 following the retirement of Mr Andrew McCusker. Dr Kam will become Deputy Operations Director from 1 July 2010.
Aged 48, Dr Kam joined the MTR Corporation 15 years ago in 1995 and is well versed in the Corporation’s railway operations as well as other aspects of the business. From his initial post as Safety Programme Manager, he has since taken up several senior management positions in the Operations, Projects and China & International Business Divisions, leading up to his appointment in 2007 to his current post of Chief of Operations Engineering.
Dr Kam holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom (UK) and a doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering (University College London) from the University of London. He qualified as a Chartered Engineer in the UK and is a member of both the UK Institution of Mechanical Engineers and The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers.
Mr McCusker retires after 22 years with the Corporation, the last five of which in his current role as Operations Director.
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