MTR To Say Sorry With Half-price Fares

The MTR Corporation will offer almost half-price fares to passengers over the bank holiday weekend from May 11th to the 13th, as a goodwill gesture over last week's train crash near Central Station.

Operations director Adi Lau said 13 million passengers stood to benefit. The company is expecting to pay a HK$25 million penalty for the two-day service suspension between Central and Admiralty stations caused by the crash, which occurred during non-service hours while testing a new signalling system.

Lawmakers are discussing the matter at a railways subcommittee meeting. Legislators have called for changes to the penalty mechanism, while others have said senior management at the MTR should be sacked or have bonus payments cancelled.

The Transport Secretary, Frank Chan, has previously said the administration has ordered the railway company to carry out an in-depth probe into the accident, in which two trains were derailed on a section of the Tsuen Wan line.

Chan added that the government's Electrical and Mechanical Services Department will also conduct its own thorough investigation and make its findings public.