Editorial | Battered rail network must be given easier ride for sake of city
- Stations are being turned into battlegrounds amid increasing violence and, despite services returning to normal fairly quickly, some people are thinking twice about going by train
City train operations are becoming increasingly unsafe and unreliable through the violent actions of protesters that lead to service suspensions, stations turning into battlegrounds, facilities being vandalised and staff being harassed.
Damage caused to MTR property is getting worse and has to be stopped as anger over perceived police brutality and government inaction continues to rage.
In the latest incident on Sunday a mob, angry that Central station had been closed, smashed glass panels and set light to a pile of cardboard and wood at one of its entrances.
Describing such scenes as the most tremendous challenge it has faced in its 40 years of operations, the MTR Corporation condemned the violence and urged all sectors to treasure and safeguard the train system – and rightly so.
This is no doubt a testing time for the railway giant. Despite repeated incidents and disruptions, train services have generally resumed pretty quickly.
This owes much to the hard work of the teams behind the scenes. However, the company has paid a heavy price, not only in terms of its corporate image, but also through the cost of repairs and expected loss in revenue caused by the downturn.