MTR asked to beef up emergency response mechanism
Several lawmakers on Monday called on the MTR to improve its emergency response mechanism, after more than 14 high-speed rail services were cancelled or delayed on July 1 as a result of a signaling fault near the West Kowloon terminus.  Speaking on an RTHK programme, Roundtable's Michael Tien described the incident as worrying, as the glitch was the second of its kind on the Hong Kong section of the high-speed rail in two months.  Tien also said the railway company needs to do more to keep travellers informed, after some passengers complained that it took the railway company over an hour to make a service disruption announcement.  "Some tourists who entered [Hong Kong] using a one-way permit were already on the platform, which means they cannot go back to Hong Kong. You remained silent and kept cancelling the trains… should they consider spending the night at the station?" Tien said, adding that the MTR should offer them cross-border bus services.  Speaking on another radio programme, DAB chairwoman Starry Lee also said the railway firm’s response to the incident was unacceptable.  "Having malfunctions is normal, but how you respond to emergencies after a malfunction is the key," she said.  Cheung Chi-keung, Chief of the Cross Boundary Segment of the MTR, apologised to those affected and said his team will do what it takes to prevent similar accidents from happening again. He also explained why it took the company so long to put out a service disruption announcement.  "This is because within the tens of thousands of kilometres of the high-speed rail network, if there was an accident at one of the stations, such as West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong, we need to coordinate and communicate with the mainland in terms of overall train service," he said.  Cheung noted that the railway operator is now conducting a thorough review of its contingency mechanism to provide better support for passengers.