Hong Kong’s MTR Corp plans to finish installing automatic platform screen gates on East Rail line by 2025
- Project covers 13 stations and involves 35 platforms and almost 1,600 pairs of platform gates, company says
- Installation expected to be completed by end of 2025, with contract worth about HK$510 million
Hong Kong’s railway operator has said it aims to finish installing automatic platform screen gates along the East Rail line by the end of 2025, with the route being the last one without such measures preventing commuters from falling on the tracks.
There have been repeated incidents of of people falling or jumping onto the tracks on the East Rail line, with some cases resulting in injury or death and subsequent delays in service.
“Installing platform gates is a complicated systematic engineering project,” said Tim Leung, general manager of electrical and mechanical construction, defending the delayed installation process. “Before we install the gates, we have five steps that we must follow. These five steps should be completed one by one and step by step before we can start. Now we are in the last stage, so we can start installing the gates.”
This included enhancing the structure of the platform’s gates, upgrading its signalling system, introducing new trains and adjusting their stopping positions.
The installation project will cover 13 stations, excluding Hung Hom, Exhibition Centre and Admiralty, which already have full platform screen doors following the opening of the Sha Tin-Central link in May last year.
It involves a total of 35 platforms and almost 1,600 pairs of platform gates, said Cheung Chi-keung, MTR Corp’s head of cross-boundary operations, on Saturday. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, with the contract for the project worth about HK$510 million (US$65 million).
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The MTR Corp expected to take an average of three to six months to complete the installation work on each platform. This is complicated by the limited time available in the evenings and environmental regulations covering construction noise outdoors.
“The biggest challenge of the project is to install 1,600 pairs of gates on a running line while we are maintaining normal operations,” Leung said.
The company will adopt a rolling installation process, allowing the gates to be in service immediately after they have been installed and tested.
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He added the corporation was planning to start the installation at stations in Lok Ma Chau, Sheung Shui, Sha Tin and Tai Wai next year.
Prioritising stations for installation depended on several factors, including whether their platforms were straight and if they had standby platforms, he added.
Racecourse station was selected as the first one for the project as the stopping point did not need much adjustment, the platform was fairly straight, and it was not in operation on non-racing days. Work will also start at Tai Po Market station by the end of this month.
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Leung said they hoped to use the experience of the installation at Racecourse and Tai Po Market stations to speed up the work as much as possible.
In January, a train was forced to make an emergency stop as it entered Tai Wo station after a 72-year-old passenger took ill and fell onto the tracks.
