MTR Corporation to cancel overnight train services during Hong Kong’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations over fears of protest violence
- Rail operator likely to extend service hours, rather than offering overnight trains, as it usually does four times a year during holidays
- Gatherings of large crowds during Mid-Autumn Festival have raised fears of repeat of violence that has shut stations in recent weeks
Hong Kong’s embattled rail operator will cancel overnight services during the Mid-Autumn Festival for the first time ever, citing safety concerns amid escalating protest violence targeting its metro stations, the Post has learned.
The MTR Corp management and government officials met on Wednesday afternoon to discuss providing alternative transport for commuters.
Sources said the MTR would offer to boost the frequency of trains beyond peak hours, also extending service hours instead of keeping them running throughout Friday night.
The unprecedented move, backed by the MTR’s staff union, is aimed at heading off large gatherings at stations by people carrying metallic ballons which could short-circuit power lines and traditional candlelit lanterns which could pose a fire hazard, given the risk of chaotic protest action.
“We urged the MTR management to cancel the overnight services on this occasion, which we think is a high-risk one,” said Tam Kin-chiu, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Railway Trade Unions, after meeting with operations director Adi Lau Tin-shing. “We can no longer afford to have key interchanges vandalised again.”
Tam said the management intended to scrap the round-the-clock services during the Mid-Autumn Festival for security reasons.
The MTR Corp said it would make an announcement in due course.
Prince Edward, Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei stations have had to be repeatedly closed because of escalating violence by protesters trashing the premises or clashing with riot police.
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The city’s metro stations have become prime targets of radicals, who have turned their wrath on the MTR Corp, accusing it of working with the government and police force against protesters.
Overnight MTR services are normally available four times a year – during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and the night before the Lunar New Year.
In the past month, massive damage has been done to MTR stations, with rampaging groups smashing CCTV cameras, Octopus card readers, ticketing machines, glass doors, turnstiles and station control rooms. They have frequently set off fire extinguishers and fire hosepipes in the stations when confronting police.
The union has warned that some stations may not be able to survive more attacks.
“We have carried out urgent repairs of damaged facilities by replacing them with components from undamaged stations, but we will soon run out of them,” Tam said.
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The rail operator has started calling police to remove rowdy demonstrators from its premises, and closing stations in advance when getting wind of protests, to avoid chaos and vandalism.
The MTR started taking action after it was accused by mainland Chinese state media of allowing protesters to use stations as staging points to attack police and also providing them with free rides to escape.
