MTR Slammed For Not Revealing Express Rail Snags

Roundtable lawmaker and former KCR chairman Michael Tien has slammed the MTR Corporation for not being forthcoming about problems it encounters, after the rail operator admitted that water seeped from false ceilings at West Kowloon Station's ticketing concourse last month.

It was also revealed on Tuesday that test runs on the high-speed line were suspended on Friday due to water seepage at a tunnel section, which affected the signalling system.

The corporation said on Wednesday that a leak was spotted last month near the ticket hall on the basement floor of West Kowloon Station. But the rail operator said the leak didn't affect the station's facilities, and the holes where the water seeped in have since been sealed.

Tien said the MTR should be frank about issues it encounters during the trial runs and disclose them before media reports surface about the problems.

The lawmaker said the water seepage is nothing to be worried about, but the authorities have to make sure that the signalling system is properly maintained throughout the entire tunnel.

The MTR Corporation's operating chief, Francis Li, had earlier conceded that it is challenging to entirely waterproof a tunnel.

Li said it is hard to prevent leaks even if an area has been treated with a waterproof material. But he said all signalling systems were now back to normal.