It’s straight crazy town on the MTR this morning, with signaling system faults on three lines causing mass delays throughout the network.
Lines of passengers, several rows deep, massing at stations across Hong Kong, with train intervals reduced to between 10 and 15 minutes in some cases (down from the normal train every two minutes), leading to severe delays.
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Initial service alerts were posted about 6am. Updates from 8am show signaling system faults on the Kwun Tong (green), Island (blue), Tsuen Wan (red) lines — extending travel time by about 40 minutes.
According to the MTR, the fault on the Island line was resolved just before 9:30am. Though services on that line are “gradually” returning to normal delays remain.
Due to the faults, services on the Tseung Kwan O (purple) line have also been reduced. Trains have been reduced to 12-15 minute intervals between North Point and Lohas Park stations, and 6 minute intervals between North Point and Po Lam stations.
Commuters are being advised to consider using other forms of transport or allow more time for travel. But long queues for buses and trams are also reported citywide as people look to other transport to get to work.
For instance, here’s the bus queue at Cheung Sha Wan, Pei Ho Street, as of just past 8am.
Many, unsurprisingly, have taken to social media to vent.
One commuter noted that, after arriving at Hong Kong University Station about 8:20am, it took almost an hour to travel three stops to Central.
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Others pointed out that this was, uh, not a normal morning for train travel, at least by Hong Kong standards.
https://twitter.com/jgriffiths/status/1051984824582303744?s=19
Ferry services were also overwhelmed by people trying to get to the office.
Updates to come.
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