MTR Resumes Trial Runs Of Express Rail Link

Trial runs for the Hong Kong section of the express rail line to the mainland resumed on Friday, ten days after a train parked at a depot was found to have partially derailed.

The tracks where the derailment took place, however, are still closed until improvement works are complete, and the MTR Corporation said the closure will not affect the trials. It said the resumption was agreed by government departments.

On April 3, four wheels of the last compartment of a train were found to have partially gone off the tracks.

In a preliminary investigation report, the rail operator said experts believe the incident was linked to a specific spot of the track at the Shek Kong depot.

They found the train and the related tracks were all in good condition. But the specific spot of track was on a bend supported by a metal beam, and the metal was slightly deformed, probably after being pressed repeatedly. The track was then wider than normal, causing the train derailment.

The MTR Corporation also said there are three other maintenance tracks in the depot, and they are all in good condition.

It said a detailed report will be submitted to the government when it is completed, and it will also be made public at a suitable time.

The rail operator's chairman, Frederick Ma, earlier said the saga will not affect the target to open the line in September.