MTR vows to launch a thorough probe into collision

Hong Kong’s sole railway operator MTR Corporation on Tuesday vowed to conduct a thorough investigation into a train crash which occurred during a trial run to test a new signal system on Monday. It was the most serious incident of its kind for 40 years.

The remark came after an emergency meeting, attended by MTR’s board committee members, management officers, suppliers, as well as government officials in charge of transportation.

Managing Director Jacob Kam Chakpui told reporters MTRC will launch comprehensive investigations to find out the cause and to avoid similar accidents. The probe will involve a full inspection of the new signal system — including compatibility of the software and hardware, operating procedures — and the safety assurance mechanism.

On Monday, the MTRC said the company would submit an initial investigation report to the government in two to three months. This will be produced by a designated task force comprising experts from the MTRC, suppliers of the new signal system and third parties.

On Monday morning, two MTR trains collided near Central Station due to signal failure in a trial run testing a new signal system. A driver injured his leg and the MTR had to shut down rail services from Central to Admiralty along the Tsuen Wan Line.