MTRC Under Fire In Legco Over November Train Accident

The MTR Corporation (MTRC) on Friday came under fire during a Legco panel meeting, with lawmakers complaining that the firm did not prevent an accident that saw two pairs of doors ripped off a train at Yau Ma Tei Station last month.

Business and Professionals Alliance legislator Lo Wai-kwok said the MTRC failed to learn from the experience of previous mishaps in recent years, including an incident involving a set of doors coming off a train at Causeway Bay Station in December 2021.

The firm apologised again for last month's incident, saying it plans to submit a final investigation report in two months, and complete a comprehensive survey on its trackside equipment.

MTR officials say they suspect a dislodged metal barrier by the side of the tracks caused the Yau Ma Tei accident.

Lau Kwok-fan from the DAB asked if the government could impose penalties on the railway firm based on how serious an incident is, rather than on the length of any service disruption.

"We do have a penalty in terms of delays. [During] day-to-day communication with the MTRC or in our inspection, if we spot any irregularities on the part of the MTRC, we can, depending on the situation, take follow-up action. We can issue letters to the MTRC highlighting all the procedures that have to be undertaken to improve the situation," said Amy Wong, Deputy Secretary for Transport and Logistics.

Questions were also raised as to how the MTRC could enhance passenger safety in emergency situations, after dozens of passengers left through an emergency exit of the train involved in November's incident and walked along the tunnel.

Roundtable's Michael Tien asked if the corporation would stop other trains in the vicinity if passengers are in the tunnel, while Frankie Yick who represents the transport sector suggested CCTV cameras be installed to monitor the situation inside tunnels.

In response, the MTRC said it would review evacuation arrangements.