‘Substandard work is still safe’ on Hong Kong’s Sha Tin-Central link, says MTR Corp
- Independent expert lowers the standard for what is acceptable on shoddily inserted couplers
- Rail giant tries to quash the idea it should rip up new platforms and start again
Hong Kong’s transport giant has played down the safety failures being unearthed daily at the city’s most expensive rail project ever, as it tried to scotch suggestions that it should rip up newly built platforms and start again.
Reporting progress on the investigation by the MTR Corporation on the Sha Tin-Central link at Hung Hom station, Yim Kin-ping, an independent expert on the probe, said it had not found any cases of reinforcing bars being cut short, as had been reported. But he conceded construction quality was below standard.
The MTR Corp is in the process of breaking open at least 80 sections of two platforms at the station for the HK$97.1 billion (US$12.4 billion) line. At least 168 coupler connections for the reinforcement bars will be exposed for inspection. A final assessment is expected to be delivered by mid-March.
But on Monday Yim appeared to lower the safety standard. He said a coupler with six out of 10 screw threads inserted, giving an insertion of about 24mm, would be safe, though it was four threads short of correct installation. The threads are the slanted grooves which guide, and hold, the screw end into the coupler.
