'Some Flaws At Hung Hom Station Yet To Be Fixed'

The extended session of the Commission of Inquiry looking into Hung Hom MTR station construction scandal – which started on Monday – has heard that the railway firm has not done anything so far to correct flaws at one of the parallel track areas.

During his opening address, the counsel for the commission, Ian Pennicott, told the inquiry that even though cracks were observed in the concrete at the area where track was laid parallel to the main line and a “significant number” of reinforcement bars were either not properly connected, or not connected at all to couplers, the problems have not been remedied so far.

Similar problems that were identified at three other points at the approach tunnels, however, had been fixed in July last year.

Pennicott added that it is so far unclear who was responsible for the defective works.

The commission has already completed an initial set of hearings on earlier allegations of improper steel bar cutting at the station extension of the Shatin-Central Link.

This expanded part of the inquiry will focus on new revelations about construction irregularities as well as the lack of key inspection and material testing records relating to the north and south approach tunnels, as well as the parallel track areas.

The hearing is expected to last around 17 days.