Urgent review ordered after 1,500 passengers evacuated through Hong Kong railway tunnel following failure of couplings between 2 carriages
- Passengers walk along tracks guided by employees towards Tseung Kwan O station
- Source says couplings that connected two compartments of train had twisted and failed to function properly at about 8.30am
About 1,500 passengers were forced to evacuate through a Hong Kong railway tunnel on Monday morning after a train suffered mechanical failure, which caused the rail operator to promise a comprehensive review of its resource management and maintenance regime.
The North Point-bound train ground to a halt in the tunnel as it approached Tseung Kwan O station after couplings between two carriages failed, which forced a service suspension on part of the Tseung Kwan O line until the train was removed from the tracks about four hours later.
Two passengers felt unwell during the incident, and hundreds of others scrambled for alternative transport to finish their journey to work or school during the morning rush hour. Many complained about unclear instructions and long waits for buses.
The service disruption, the second major one in less than a month, triggered calls for the MTR Corporation to step up inspection of its system. One lawmaker proposed a review of the fare adjustment mechanism to link service performance to the right to charge passengers more.
The MTR Corp announced it would start a comprehensive review on Monday night, saying it was deeply concerned about the recent train incidents.