The project, which is highly complex in nature, is the first large-scale asset renewal project in the history of Hong Kong’s railways. The works involve tunnel facilities of the railway lines built in the early years on the crossover (where a train on one track crosses over to the other) near Yau Ma Tei Station to replace over 50 large metal hangers which are used for hanging the power cables on the tunnel ceiling at a height of about seven metres. After prudent assessment by EMSD and MTRCL, it was mutually agreed that such large-scale works cannot be completed within non-traffic hours. To minimise the impact on Hong Kong citizens, it was decided that the project should be carried out over a weekend during the summer vacation for 28 consecutive hours from the early hours of 28 July 2024 until the morning of 29 July 2024. To ensure timely and orderly completion of all project items while achieving the goal of zero accidents, EMSD assumed a co-ordinating role in proactively solving problems and working with various departments to safeguard the railway safety of Hong Kong with professionalism.

During the project planning stage, EMSD required MTRCL to examine the potential risks of the project and ensure industrial safety. In this connection, EMSD and relevant government departments held two inter-departmental special meetings with MTRCL for discussion and optimisation of its proposals. During the meetings, various departments offered professional advice in respect of its policy areas. FSD offered advice on fire safety and formulated contingency plans for fire-fighting and rescue. HKPF made suggestions on passenger information, security and emergency handling, and co-ordinated with various police districts to increase manpower for crowd management. BD offered advice on the structural safety and quality of the repairs to structural components and the replacement of metal hangers, ensuring that MTRCL carried out the renewal project in accordance with the statutory requirements and reviewed evacuation arrangements based on passenger flow. TD required MTRCL to deploy more staff to answer passengers’ inquiries and manage passenger flow, disseminate passenger information in a timely manner, and arrange free bus services in the affected railway lines and stations. LD provided professional guidance on occupational safety for the construction procedures of different project items and the erection of metal scaffolding. HyD also actively participated in the meetings and discussed various proposed solutions. Regarding the most complex part of the project – the replacement of more than 50 large metal hangers, considering that metal hangers are at seven-metre-high tunnel ceiling and each hanger is over 60kg, EMSD required MTRCL to set up a physical model of the metal scaffolding in the depot, so that the engineering personnel could familiarise themselves with the procedures for installing the hangers before construction, thereby ensuring work safety and raising efficiency. Before the project commenced, EMSD team conducted two on-site inspections of the relevant sections during non-traffic hours at night to understand the details of each project item and familiarise themselves with the on-site working environment.

On the day of construction on 28 July 2024, EMSD formed multiple teams according to the expected schedule of the project and monitored the entire project on-site for 28 hours in a row. Moreover, EMSD reviewed whether the electrical and mechanical installations met the relevant standards and safety requirements. Given the large amount of concrete repair and waterproofing work involved in the renewal project, EMSD also established a team of civil and structural engineering professionals to provide on-site monitoring of the quality of concrete repair and tunnel wall and ceiling waterproofing work, in order to enhance the safety of railway operation. Following the smooth completion of the renewal project within the scheduled time, MTRCL submitted test documents to EMSD to demonstrate the project’s compliance with the relevant safety requirements. The Kwun Tong Line fully resumed service for the public on the morning of 29 July 2024.

EMSD and relevant government departments formulated an inter-departmental collaborative regulatory regime for the project, under which various departments were well prepared before its commencement and stood ready to perform their duties on the day of construction, fully demonstrating their strong team spirit and commitment to serving Hong Kong people in line with the “One Government” service ethos. EMSD’s Railways Branch deployed more than 30 professional and inspectorate staff to be on duty over the weekends. Despite the harsh working environment in the tunnel, the team continued to uphold professionalism and make selfless contribution to the safety of railway operation, demonstrating civil servants’ commitment and sense of responsibility towards the public.

EMSD has been upholding the belief of continuous learning, and will consolidate the experience gained from the project, and continue to optimise the inter-departmental collaborative regulatory regime by working hand in hand with relevant government departments and MTRCL to ensure the safe and efficient completion of works. We will strive to perform our gate-keeping role in the operational safety of Hong Kong’s railways effectively.