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.