MTR warns of possible increase in work-related delays in signal upgrade
Work could cause train delays but will make system more stable, rail operator says
MTR passengers were yesterday warned to expect more delays next year when the railway operator starts upgrading its signalling system. The news came after a week in which five disruptions lasting more than eight minutes hit the system.
"We hope there will be no impact, but we don't know," he said.
The signal upgrade operations are due to be completed between 2018 and 2022.
The MTR said work would be done only outside the railway's operating hours, so that any impact on services would be kept to a minimum.
Kam said that while the upgrade would allow the MTR to add more train trips and make the system more stable, there could be an increase in disruptions during the process.
"In other places, they close the whole system during the whole upgrade, but that's impossible in Hong Kong," he said.
When the system was upgraded for the first time in 1998, there was one occasion when service could not resume the next morning because the system was not fully restored.
In the worst of the delays last week, lightning damaged signalling systems on the West Rail and East Rail lines, causing delays that lasted for hours.
The strength of the surge was unprecedented and the MTR is investigating whether a stronger protective system is needed.
Incidents involving the signalling system also occurred on the Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan and West Rail lines in the past week.
Lee said the incidents were not related and the fact they occurred at about the same time was "random".
He said 50 maintenance employees had been put on standby at critical points in the system to prepare for emergencies.
Kam added that as of Wednesday there had been 21 disruptions this year lasting longer than eight minutes - an average of three a month.
He said the number was similar to past years.
