Commuters face another day of MTR service delays after ‘unacceptable’ signal failure causes unprecedented train crash
- Software system allowed two trains to pass through crossing at same time, says MTR managing director Jacob Kam
- Extra services on public transport put on as trains on Tsuen Wan line between Central and Admiralty remain suspended
Hong Kong commuters are facing more confusion, delays and long waits on crowded platforms on Tuesday, with the city’s railway operator unlikely to restore services that were knocked out between two major stations by an unprecedented train crash on Monday morning.
The MTR Corporation blamed the first collision in its 40-year history on a signalling software failure as it warned passengers taking the Tsuen Wan line from the Kowloon side to Hong Kong Island that upon arriving at Admiralty station they would either have to walk down to a lower level to change platforms or find alternative modes of transport to continue their journey to Central station.
Services between the two busy stations were suspended for all of Monday after the collision between a Central-bound train and another train heading for Tsuen Wan at around 3am at a crossover junction.
There were no passengers on board the two trains during the trial run for the MTR’s new signalling system, but a 31-year-old driver suffered minor leg injuries.
MTR operations director Adi Lau Tin-shing said around 120 staff had been deployed for repair work at Central station.
“But they need to wait until after midnight before they can remove the two damaged trains from the station tracks to another siding area. They only have two to three hours to carry out this work,” he said.
