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Cannix Yau

In a rare move, police have prosecuted two MTR drivers for their criminal liabilities in relation to a train incident last year that injured nine people.
The two women were accused of committing a negligent act that endangered the safety of people.
Police said on Tuesday they had prosecuted two rail drivers, aged 28 and 29, over the breaching of the Mass Transit Railway Ordinance that regulates the safe operation of the MTR system.
The incident occurred in the evening of October 6 last year when a Central-bound MTR train crashed into a concrete buffer near Lai King station while on its way to Mei Foo, injuring seven passengers and the two drivers.
The MTR Corporation had said the train was moving at about 10km/h on a “special route” towards Mei Foo station when it hit a buffer shortly before 6pm. The train did not come off the tracks, the rail operator said then.
Inquiry finds MTR maintenance staff lacked knowledge, failed to follow protocols
Some passengers were slightly injured and the train was evacuated, while the entire Tsuen Wan line was suspended following the incident.
The driver involved in the accident was temporarily removed from duties while the train was towed to a depot for inspection. Lai King and Mei Foo had been among the relatively few MTR stations still open that evening as anti-government protests against the now-withdrawn extradition bill raged in several parts of the city.
It’s unfair to hold one or two single persons accountable for a railway incident
Tam Kin-chiu, Hong Kong Federation of Railway Trade Unions
Hong Kong Federation of Railway Trade Unions vice-chairman Tam Kin-chiu said it was unfair to hold the two drivers accountable as the incident might be caused by other external factors such as vandalism by hard-core protesters.
“So far the MTR Corp hasn’t revealed the cause of that incident and it would be unfair to hold them accountable,” he said.
“During that time, train drivers were working under tremendous pressure amid the social unrest as they were worrying about their personal safety while ensuring passengers’ safety. Railway safety relies on the cooperation of many parties. It’s unfair to hold one or two single persons accountable for a railway incident,” he said.
An MTR spokeswoman said the company had cooperated with police in the investigation and the two drivers had already been suspended from their duties. “The MTR will provide appropriate assistance for the staff in question. We have no further comments on this,” she said.

It was the second accident on the MTR network since the East Rail line derailment of another train as it approached the Hung Hom station on the morning of September 17, Hong Kong’s most serious train incident in more than two decades.
An MTR investigation concluded that due to maintenance flaws, the track defects led to three carriages of the train coming off the track. Eight passengers were injured while the services between Hung Hom and Mong Kok East stations were suspended for the day.
The derailment was the second major operational incident in a year. In March last year, two trains collided during a trial run outside service hours. No passengers were involved but the collision crippled services in the heart of the city.
MTR Corp records 13-year low in passenger numbers in February
Meanwhile, the Executive Council on Tuesday gave the go-ahead for the MTR Corp to proceed with the detailed planning and design of the Tung Chung line extension project at a price tag of HK$18.7 billion (US$2.4 billion).
The project comprises a 1.3km extension from the existing Tung Chung station to a new station in the Tung Chung West area; a new intermediate station at the Tung Chung East reclamation area; and the Airport Railway extended overrun tunnel. The construction work is expected to start in 2023 and be fully completed by 2032.
A government spokesman said it would negotiate with the rail operator on the funding arrangement.
The MTR Corp welcomed the government’s invitation, pledging to consult local communities over catering to the transport needs of residents.


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MTR Corporation

2 MTR drivers accused of negligence which left 9 injured in Hong Kong train incident near Lai King station

Nine people were injured in the October 6 incident near Lai King station. Photo: Handout

An M-Train has derailed near Lai King Station on the Tsuen Wan Line at around 18:00 today. The involved passenger train is alleged to have derailed because of passing a signal at danger aspect and crashing into the buffer at the end of the track at the Lai King Centre Track section. Photo: Ambrose Ng

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A Central-bound train had crashed into a concrete buffer near the station on October 6
The entire Tsuen Wan line was closed following the incident



The entire Tsuen Wan line was closed after a Central-bound train crashed into a concrete buffer near the station on October 6.


Hong Kong courts

Transport and logistics

2 MTR drivers accused of negligence which left 9 injured in Hong Kong train incident near Lai King station

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} A Central-bound train had crashed into a concrete buffer near the station on October 6 The entire Tsuen Wan line was closed following the incident

A Central-bound train had crashed into a concrete buffer near the station on October 6

The entire Tsuen Wan line was closed following the incident