Manpower Shortage May Affect XRL Operations: Union

A train union representative on Thursday expressed concern that the manpower shortage at the MTR Corporation may undermine service quality after the reopening of the high-speed railway.

The express rail link will reopen on Sunday after a three-year hiatus, and the initial resumption will cover trips to as far as Guangzhou.

Speaking on an RTHK programme, the head of the Hong Kong Federation of Railway Trade Unions, Lam Wai-keung, said the reopening is expected to exacerbate the MTRC’s manpower crunch.

While he stressed that safety won't be compromised, it may slow down evacuation procedures in the unlikely event of an emergency.

“When a station goes into operation, I believe it will basically be safe. But if there's an emergency requiring evacuation or other some other kind of protocol, our colleagues may not be able to execute the plan right away,” Lam said.

“They will need the support of colleagues from other stations. In the case of an emergency, this would be a great inconvenience to the public and it would put a lot of pressure on staff.”

Separately, a transport consultant, Alok Jain, said although the initial resumption will only be for trips to Shenzhen and Guangzhou, it will make it a lot easier for travellers to connect to the mainland's high speed rail network.

But he called on authorities to consider dropping the requirement of a 48-hour negative Covid PCR test before the trip.

"I think that reduces the spontaneity of using the high speed rail network, because people need to plan well ahead," he said on RTHK.

"It won't be exactly just going to the station and taking the train. So that barrier still remains."