A KCR driver has been suspended from duty after he failed to stop his train at Tai Wo station yesterday. The onboard automatic train operation system had malfunctioned, so the driver was supposed to stop manually at each station on the East Rail, according to a spokeswoman for the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation. The incident prompted the rail operator to issue a reminder to all train drivers that they must stop at all stations. The system, designed automatically to make trains stop at each station, was introduced in 2002. 'We believe that the incident was the result of human error,' the spokeswoman said, but she added that this was rare. 'It is under investigation.' She said the driver involved had been suspended from duty, but it was too early to say whether he would face disciplinary action. The Transport Department has demanded an explanation for yesterday's incident. A department spokesman said officials were concerned even though no one was injured. The train, which was heading towards Lowu, missed Tai Wo station and went straight to Fanling at 7.45am. About 60 commuters were affected by the incident. Passengers wanting to get out at Tai Wo had to travel on to Fanling and catch the next train back. Those waiting to board had to take the next train. There were two similar incidents in February 2001 that forced the corporation to introduce new measures the following year to prevent trains from missing stations. The automatic system includes an alarm to remind drivers when they are approaching a station.
