Yau Ma Tei Train May Have Hit Loose Metal Part: MTR

The MTR Corporation says an initial probe suggests that a train involved in an accident at Yau Ma Tei Station on Sunday morning may have hit a component that came off a metal barrier next to the track.

Several doors were ripped off the train as it pulled into the station, leading to services being suspended along much of the Tsuen Wan Line for the rest of the day.

The railway company’s operations director, Tony Lee, told an RTHK programme that staff members have since inspected more than 30 locations with similar devices and have made sure they are safe.

He said their investigation will continue.

“We will look at it [the component] from different directions. For example, its maintenance, as well as its condition and whether there is any wear and tear. We will also look at the design. We will spend more time to carry out a thorough probe,” he said.

The MTR’s chief of operating, Sammy Wong, told the same programme that the corporation will also look into why around 150 passengers left the train via an emergency exit and walked all the way to Mong Kok Station through the tunnel.

He neither confirmed nor denied reports that the driver had instructed some passengers to do this, while the majority of those on board left via Yau Ma Tei Station.

Roundtable lawmaker Michael Tien, meanwhile, urged the MTR to replace its older trains, saying the one involved in Sunday's accident has been in service for more than 40 years.