Bilingual Editorial: Collision has shattered confidence in MTR
雙語社評:列車碰撞觸目驚心 市民信心江河日下
文章日期:2019年4月12日

雙語社評齊齊聽

[英語 (足本收聽)] Presented by Dr CHAN, Danny Weng-kit, Lecturer of Hong Kong Community College, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

[普通話 (足本收聽)] Presented by Dr JIAO, Nina, Lecturer of Hong Kong Community College, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Two trains collided when the MTR was testing the signalling system in the early morning, the first such incident since the company came into operation nearly forty years ago.

[ENG audio 1]

It is the fortieth year since Hong Kong's railway system came into operation. The MTR has always claimed to be safe and reliable and be ranked among the world's best railway systems. But obviously, Hong Kong citizens' confidence in the MTR has consistently declined in recent years. Though the latest collision took place in the early morning when the new signalling system was being tested and did not cause heavy casualties, it has already made the MTR's halo of "zero collision" slip. The MTR says that the incident had nothing to do with the existing signalling system, and the trains were not travelling at a high speed during the collision. It also says that the captains of the trains employed emergency braking to slow down the trains. However, judging from the photographs taken at the scene, the compartments were a ghastly sight. Citizens will inevitably imagine how heavy the casualties would be if a similar accident happened to a fully loaded train.

[ENG audio 2]

Currently the MTR's train service frequency at peak hours has reached the ceiling of the signalling system. To further increase the frequency of train services, it is necessary to change the design of the signalling system. In 2015, in view of system ageing and the need to increase train capacity, the MTR decided to spend HK$3.3 billion to replace the signalling system of seven urban rail lines in phases. The replacement has, unexpectedly, run into quite a few setbacks. The Tsuen Wan line was scheduled to try the new system late last year, the first to do so among all rail lines. But the trial run has been delayed to the second half of this year, before the new system can be run alongside the old system during the "Mixed Mode Operation". It was once suspected that the "four-line breakdown" experienced by the MTR last October had to do with the testing of the new signalling system. The MTR later clarified that the accident stemmed from a problem with data synchronisation and was not caused by the new system. However, whether the new system is safe and reliable has still aroused quite a lot of concern.

[ENG audio 3]

The failure of the anti-collision system to function is an extremely serious problem. The latest collision has dealt a heavy blow to public confidence in the new signalling system. The MTR must demand that the contractors shoulder their responsibilities, conduct a full review of the entire system and ensure that the system is safe before it comes into operation. As the major shareholder in the MTR, the government also has a responsibility to press the company to carry out reform and enhance the management of train services.

[ENG audio 4]

Over the past ten years or so, the MTR's businesses have become increasingly complicated. The latest results show that profits contributed by shops at train stations have exceeded $5 billion, which is 1.5 times that of passenger train services. In recent years, the MTR has been hit by one serious accident after another, while its infrastructural projects have run into one problem after another. There is concern about whether the MTR is focusing on what is important and is too occupied with lucrative operations to do a good job of providing train services, which should be its primary task. The collision has once again called into question the MTR's performance and capability. To focus on providing the best transportation services, the MTR must cut back on distractions. The government should order the MTR to reform its managerial structure and hive off some businesses to ensure that MTR will return to its primary task, which is to serve citizens, as promised forty years ago in the slogan "Growing for You".

[ENG audio 5]

列車碰撞觸目驚心 市民信心江河日下

港鐵凌晨測試新信號系統期間,發生列車碰撞意外,是營運近40年來第一次。

[PTH audio 1]

本港地鐵投入服務,今年踏入第40個年頭,港鐵常自詡服務安全可靠,全球數一數二,可是市民對港鐵的信心,近年明顯持續下跌,今次列車碰撞事故,雖然是在凌晨測試新信號系統期間發生,未釀成嚴重傷亡,然而已戳破港鐵列車「零相撞」的神話。港鐵表示,今次事故與現行信號系統無關,列車碰撞時速度不高,車長亦有緊急煞車減慢速度,惟觀乎現場照片,車廂損毁程度可謂觸目驚心,市民難免會想像,倘若滿載乘客的列車發生同類意外,死傷將何等慘烈。

[PTH audio 2]

目前港鐵繁忙時段的列車班次,已達現有信號系統負荷上限,若要進一步加密班次,必須改變信號系統設計。2015年港鐵因應系統老化以及增加載客需要,決定投放33億元,分階段更換7條市區線信號系統,未料出現不少阻滯。荃灣線原定去年底率先試用新系統,結果要押後至今年下半年,才能以「雙系統」形式與舊系統一同試用;去年10月港鐵「四線大故障」,更一度懷疑與新信號系統測試有關。雖然港鐵其後澄清,事故肇因是數據同步出問題,與新系統無關,然而新系統是否安全可靠,仍然惹來甚多關注。

[PTH audio 3]

列車防撞功能未能發揮作用,是極度嚴重的問題。今次撞車意外令公眾對新信號系統信心大打折扣,港鐵必須要求承辦商負起應有責任,全面重新檢查整套系統,確保系統安全才能投入服務;政府身為港鐵大股東,亦有責任督促港鐵改革,改善車務管理。

[PTH audio 4]

過去10多年,港鐵業務愈益龐雜,最新業績顯示,港鐵車站商務利潤超過50億元,足足是客運業務利潤的一倍半。近年港鐵嚴重事故頻生,工程又屢爆問題,令人關注港鐵是否捨本逐末,只顧發展賺錢業務逐利,未有做好車務本分。今次撞車事故,再度令人對港鐵的表現和能力產生懷疑。港鐵要專注提供最佳運輸服務,必須減少旁騖,政府應勒令港鐵改革管理體制,分拆部分業務,務求令港鐵專注本業服務市民,回到40年前「地下鐵路為你建造」的初衷。

[PTH audio 5]

明報社評2019.03.19