Hong Kong MTR urged to use high-tech devices to prevent power faults in future
Railway operator tells lawmakers April 10 shutdown caused by loosening of support for overhead cable
Hong Kong’s railway operator was urged to introduce high-tech devices, instead of relying on naked-eye inspections, to immediately detect equipment glitches to avoid major disruptions akin to the drastic power fault on the Kwun Tong line earlier this month.
Road traffic plunged into chaos in east Kowloon on the night of April 10 after a power fault halted MTR trains between Kwun Tong and Kowloon Tong for over two hours, forcing thousands of stranded passengers to join long queues for shuttle buses or other public transport.
At Choi Hung station, passengers were forced to leave a stranded train inside a tunnel and walk along the track after the electricity supply was cut.
MTR operations director Adi Lau Tin-shing said on Friday the shutdown was caused by the loosening of two support components for an overhead cable on the track linking the Kowloon Bay depot and Choi Hung station.