HONG KONG — East Rail Line commuters faced hours of disruption Sunday after a damaged overhead cable forced the suspension of train services between Tai Po Market and Fanling stations, with repairs stretching well past midday as crews dealt with storm-related damage along the line.
The suspension came even as most other MTR lines returned to normal operations following the Hong Kong Observatory’s lowering of the typhoon signal to No. 8 at 7:10 a.m. The East Rail remained out of service as maintenance teams worked to address multiple points of damage to the overhead cable near Tai Wo Station, compounded by numerous fallen trees along the route.
Services resumed around 2 p.m., by which time large crowds had gathered at Tai Po Market Station.
The MTR Corporation said the repairs took longer than expected given the scale of the storm damage.
Passengers described the situation at the station as disorderly. One woman, who waited roughly 40 minutes for services to restart, said staff struggled to manage the crowds.
The MTR
“I think there were just way too many people. I think the staff wanted to give instructions, but the situation was too chaotic,” she said.
Another commuter called for systemic improvements, saying the problem was not new.
“The arrangement is too inflexible, and it’s not the first time — it has happened many times before,” she said. “So many people have to waste their time, especially the elderly and children. There should be better order, and staff should let passengers in in batches.”
At least one passenger, however, said he found the delays understandable given the circumstances.
