MTR frequencies trimmed again due to Covid woes

The MTR on Friday announced further adjustments to its services, as it continues to face a manpower shortage and drop in passenger numbers.

The railway operator said that compared to normal services, there will be an additional waiting time for trains of between one to four minutes on all its lines, effective immediately.

Train frequencies during busy hours on weekdays will be reduced to between just under three minutes and around 3.5 minutes on the Tsuen Wan Line and up to seven minutes on the East Rail Line.

The gaps between trains will be more than three minutes on the Kwun Tong and Island lines, about six minutes on the South Island Line, about four on the Tuen Ma Line, five on the Tseung Kwan O Line, and between seven and 10 minutes on the Tung Chung Line.

Non-peak periods, meanwhile, will see trains running at intervals of about four to 10 minutes.

MTR worker Lam Wai-keung, who chairs the Hong Kong Federation of Railway Trade Unions, said the company will shut stations if necessary.

“The company did mention earlier there’s such a plan in place for the worst case scenario, but it didn’t tell us which ones to close and how they’ll be sealed off,” he told a radio programme.

Lam said he expects services to be further disrupted as more people get infected with Covid.

“I believe it’ll possibly get worse, but we’re still hanging on, as passenger numbers are also down,” he said.

Lam said his colleagues will need clearer and simpler updates from the MTR, as well as more protective and disinfection equipment, adding that workers are also having to deal with increasing stress.

He urged passengers to play their part in lowering infection risks.

“Wear your mask properly, don’t spit when you’re inside the [MTR] system,” he said.

On the same programme, Lai Siu-chung from the KMB branch of the Motor Transport Workers General Union complained that passengers and some colleagues have been out and about, despite being sick.

“Some colleagues, I don’t understand, they don’t have any sense of civic responsibility,” Lai said.

“I know some passengers are going to work despite being sick, some of them had coughed non-stop and prompted others to complain to a point that we had to call the police.”

Lai said the number of infections at his workplace appeared to be “getting out of control”.

“It’s very scary. Everyday I’m very anxious, waiting to be infected.”