Wheels Come Off Express Rail Link

Part of an express rail train in Hong Kong has slipped off the tracks following a trial run, just months before the link is scheduled to open.

The MTR Corporation said it found the wheels of the last carriage had fallen off the tracks when it was stationed in the Shek Kong depot on Tuesday night.

No one was hurt.

The rail operator said it is highly concerned and will investigate the incident in detail. It has informed the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.

The Hong Kong section of the express rail, which has been dogged by controversies, is scheduled to open in the third quarter of this year.

Critics say the link is not only expensive, it also damages the "One Country, Two Systems" principle as the government plans to allow mainland laws on border clearance to be enforced at the Kowloon terminal.

The government, however, insists the project brings convenience to the SAR and it has rejected criticism that the joint checkpoint plan breaches the Basic law, Hong Kong's mini constitution.