Storm Proves Too Much For Leak-prone Rail Terminus

MTR officials have confirmed reports of further leaks at West Kowloon Station, as rain brought by the approaching tropical depression, Ewiniar, made its way into the newly constructed terminus.

Holes that allowed the rain in at the future high-speed rail station in April had been sealed, officials said. But with a Standby Signal Number 1 in force on Wednesday, water gushed into the basement floor and seeped in from a ceiling.

The MTR Corporation said on Thursday that a blocked drain had led to the basement floor flooding and staff had been asked to fix the problem.

Officials said the leaks have not affected the station's facilities or the building's structural safety.

But Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan, who leads a group opposed to the plan to place much of the terminus under the mainland's jurisdiction, said the repeated seepage reveals a big problem with the MTR's oversight of the construction project.

"It seems that their monitoring system fails to reflect the truth and the problems effectively," Chan said.

"This problem was in fact pointed out by an expert panel back in 2014 ... so I don't know why the same problems keep coming up and the MTR fails to correct, fails to monitor the construction work effectively."

The new high-speed rail line is expected to open in September.