MTR Corp embroiled in row with French software supplier Thales over test that could have stopped crash, Michael Tien says

Dispute centres on a simulation of a particular scenario under which overnight trial run was conducted

But consultant says rail giant also has the responsibility to check with supplier if test was done

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French software supplier Thales, which is behind the new signalling system for the MTR, has been blamed for the crash. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 8:00am, 21 Mar 2019Updated: 11:07am, 21 Mar 2019

Hong Kong’s rail giant has blamed the French supplier of its signalling system for failing to run a simulation that would have prevented a crash on Monday, according to a lawmaker and former rail boss.

Citing insider sources, lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun said a row had erupted between the MTR Corporation and world-renowned software supplier Thales over a train accident that led to two days of commuter disruption.

At about 3am on Monday, two trains collided near Central station during an overnight trial run of the new HK$3.3 billion (US$420.4 million) signalling system, derailing one carriage and injuring a driver. No passengers were on board.

“As far as I know the MTR Corp and Thales are having a dispute. MTR blames Thales for failure to conduct a simulation of a particular scenario that was being used for the trial run.

“But Thales argued that it had not received any instruction from the MTR Corp to conduct such a test,” Tien, a former chairman of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, said on Wednesday.

The unprecedented collision caused a two-day service breakdown between Admiralty and Central on the Tsuen Wan Line. The rail operator said the software error simultaneously assigned the same crossing to the two trains.