Hong Kong protests: repairs of University station will be similar to rebuilding the whole facility, MTR official says

The damage hard-core protesters have done to the University railway station is so severe that it will require works on a scale similar to rebuilding the whole station, a senior official of embattled train operator MTR Corporation said on Monday.

Tony Lee Kar-yun, deputy operations director of the MTR Corporation, said the station, which had been closed since last Tuesday, would remain out of bounds in the near future. On Monday, trains could pass through the station for the first time in a week.

The station, on the East Rail Line connecting Hung Hom and Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau, still reeks of the stench of burnt plastic. Black and brown burn marks could be seen on the destroyed turnstiles and ticketing machines, as well as on the floor.

“According to the preliminary assessment of our engineering team, the station will need to undergo very deep-rooted repairs. These repairs will be similar to rebuilding the whole station,” Lee said. “Glass shards were seen everywhere [around the station] when we first arrived at the scene.”

MTR stations and facilities have remained at a focal point of destruction by radical protesters since August when they accused the corporation of bowing to Beijing and siding with police.