Sha Tin-Central link faces further delay after missing documents raise safety concerns at beleaguered Hung Hom station
- Revelation adds to woes surrounding Hong Kong’s costliest rail project after shoddy construction and allegations of cover-up dog MTR Corp
- Government reveals 40 per cent of documents certifying work at two approach tunnels and stabling sidings have gone missing
Hong Kong’s costliest rail project is facing further delays and uncertainty because of an escalating construction scandal, with the government revealing on Wednesday that a missing trove of key documents meant safety could not be guaranteed at the troubled Hung Hom station of the Sha Tin-Central link.
Transport minister Frank Chan Fan said the government had no choice but to make it public after being told by railway operator MTR Corporation last week about unauthorised design changes by the main contractor, and that 40 per cent of documents to certify works at two approach tunnels and for stabling sidings, or connecting side tracks, had gone missing.
“The MTR Corp has failed to submit detailed information to the government. That’s why, up to now, the information we’ve got hold of is still very limited regarding the scale of the problems and the impact,” Chan said. “However, due to public concerns about the construction of Hung Hom station, the government feels the need to be transparent and to be accountable.”
The revelation adds to the MTR Corp’s woes over shoddy construction and allegations of a cover-up involving work on expanded platforms at Hung Hom station that have plagued the HK$97.1 billion (US$12.4 billion) project.