MTR signal failure reflects aging railway hardware, making replacement essential solution: LegCo member

Last week, the MTR experienced signal failures at three stations within two days, affecting services on six railway lines. On Friday (Nov. 15), the issues involved the Tung Chung Line, Airport Express, and Tseung Kwan O Line. On Saturday (Nov. 16), the Tsuen Wan Line, Island Line, and Kwun Tong Line were affected.

Gary Zhang Xinyu, a LegCo member of the Panel on Transport, stated that all three incidents were related to hardware problems, reflecting the aging infrastructure of the MTR. He emphasized that replacing the equipment is the fundamental solution.

Zhang explained on a radio program that among the three incidents last week, one failure was caused by damage to the outer sheath of a long cable, which led to poor contact. Another incident occurred because the turnout was affected by humid weather, preventing the sensors and signals from displaying normal conditions, requiring manual operation of trains and affecting service frequency.

Regarding the power outage around 11 p.m. last Friday at Hong Kong Station where the lighting system near exits D and E on the Tung Chung Line went out, Zhang indicated that Hong Kong Station is powered by two electricity companies. The power failure was due to a sudden drop in voltage from CLP Power in the Kowloon area, which was unrelated to the railway system.

Zhang noted that the MTR has only two hours of maintenance inspection time after closing each night, and the extensive hardware and components involved in the entire railway system make it difficult for staff to detect its wear and tear.

He also pointed out that MTR equipment has been in use for many years, and functions like moisture-proofing in component boxes have weakened. Therefore, the likelihood of failures will continue to increase in the future, making replacement the essential solution.

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