Lawmakers have called for stronger maintenance checks after the city’s sole rail operator found a crack in the train tracks on Thursday morning, triggering a service delay while repairs were made.
Engineers found a crack in the rails at Tsim Sha Tsui at around 8 am on Thursday, a public holiday, according to a statement issued by the MTR Corporation (MTRC).
The MTRC said that steel clamps were used to secure the track to the foundation at intervals of about two feet to prevent the track from shifting.
In a statement issued at around 11.30 am, the rail operator said that temporary repair works had finished, and that trains on the Tsuen Wan Line would operate at a slower speed between Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui.
As a result of the repairs, journey time between Central and Tsuen Wan stations was extended by up to five minutes.
Gary Zhang, a former engineer with the majority government-owned rail operator, who now sits on the legislature’s transport panel, classified the incident as a “broken rail,” where the rail had completely split in two.
He added that routine visual inspections were carried out almost every night after train services finished, while ultrasonic or dye penetration tests were carried out every few months.
Michael Tien, also a lawmaker on the legislature’s panel for transportation, said on Facebook that he had been pushing for nightly ultrasonic maintenance checks. “How long has it been since the last maintenance check? [The MTR Corporation] needs to give an explanation as soon as possible,” he wrote in Chinese.
Tien also cited a plan announced by the operator last year to apply “innovative technology” to extend maintenance hours, asking about the progress of the corporation’s work.
The maintenance plan was announced last June, after the MTRC conducted a review on maintenance and asset management in the wake of a train derailment in November 2022, and a four-hour disruption the following month triggered by a faulty train coupler.
According to the report, the corporation also planned to import workers from mainland China to combat a manpower crunch – a suggestion that Zhang deemed infeasible last year, as language barriers could lead to miscommunication during frontline maintenance.
Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact Us | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps
Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
LATEST FROM HKFP
HKFP has an impartial stance, transparent funding, and balanced coverage guided by an Ethics Code and Corrections Policy.
Support press freedom & help us surpass 1,000 monthly Patrons: 100% independent, governed by an ethics code & not-for-profit.
