MTR train temperature at comfortable level
WE would like to thank 'Name and Address Supplied' for his comments on MTR services (South China Morning Post, December 14).
The temperature inside MTR trains is set at a level of approximately 22 degrees Celsius and the setting cannot be adjusted easily whilst trains are in service.
The level of 22 degrees is considered to be a comfortable level for most passengers and this has been confirmed to be so in the regular surveys undertaken by the MTR Corporation; over 80 per cent of respondents are satisfied with the air-conditioning inside trains. There will be times, particularly when the railway is heavily loaded in peak periods, when some may feel a lower setting would be preferable, but this would not be consistent with an appropriate temperature level for the remainder of the day. The air-conditioning system fitted in each car is checked daily before trains are put into service. It is however possible that faults develop whilst trains are in service and we do appreciate it if passengers will let us know of any such instance, by telephoning our hotline at 750 0170, or speaking to any members of the operating staff at stations.
As regards the roles of platform assistants, they do ask passengers to queue up for trains and stop people from boarding when the train is already very full. However, to operate a mass transit railway carrying more than 2.3 million passengers a day, requires a measure of co-operation and discipline from our passengers. The corporation has organised annual courtesy campaigns in recent years to appeal to passengers to be more considerate and courteous to fellow passengers while they are riding on the MTR.
Concerning Name and Address Supplied's question on the meaning of the announcement 'Owing to the need to regulate the train service . . . ', this means that there has been a need to regulate the speed or time of dispatch of trains because of a delay or failure of a train to keep to the scheduled timetable elsewhere on the line.
I am sure your reader will appreciate that operating a service at a frequency of less than two minutes in peak hours, does inevitably mean that there will be occasions when it is necessary to regulate trains whenever there is any perturbation in the scheduled services. We welcome the comments from your reader and should he wish to discuss these issues further, he is most welcome to give me a call at 751 2175.