Hong Kong’s Lam Tin MTR station suffered service suspensions during peak hours on two consecutive days, after a trackside fire disrupted train operations on Tuesday and smoke was reported at the station on Wednesday. The incidents have prompted Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan to demand an investigation and a formal report from the railway operator within one month.
The repeated disruptions affected passengers travelling through the eastern Kowloon station, forcing commuters to find alternative routes and leaving some frustrated by the sudden interruption to their journeys. On Tuesday evening, the railway operator closed Lam Tin station following a fire near the tracks, while Wednesday’s suspension lasted almost two hours before services resumed at around 10am.
The MTR Corporation said it was investigating the causes of both incidents. The government has expressed serious concern over the consecutive disruptions and called on the company to review railway safety without delay.
Second suspension follows Wednesday smoke report
The latest disruption occurred on Wednesday morning, when MTR staff noticed smoke coming from the platform area at Lam Tin station.
The railway operator announced shortly before 10am that services had resumed following a suspension lasting almost two hours. The decision to halt operations disrupted morning journeys and prompted complaints from some commuters, according to a report by Cable TV.
Some passengers expressed their dissatisfaction directly to MTR staff over the suspension. Their frustration came after the station had already experienced a major disruption the previous evening, when a fire near the railway tracks forced passengers to leave the premises.
The two incidents occurred within approximately 24 hours, raising questions about the condition of the equipment involved and the steps being taken to prevent further interruptions.
The available information does not establish whether the smoke reported on Wednesday was connected to Tuesday’s fire. The MTR Corporation has said it is investigating both incidents, and the cause of the second disruption had not been confirmed in the information available at the time of reporting.
For commuters, however, the immediate problem was clear. A station serving everyday journeys had become the site of repeated, unexpected interruptions during busy travel periods.
Trackside fire closes station on Tuesday evening
The first incident occurred on Tuesday, October 13, when services at Lam Tin station were suspended at around 5.30pm after a fire broke out near the railway tracks.
The timing coincided with the evening commuting period, when passengers were travelling home from work and other daily activities. The suspension left crowds waiting at the station until they were informed that trains would no longer be running there.
Online photographs shared after the incident showed passengers leaving the station. Images of information screens also showed flashing emergency notices instructing people to evacuate.
One notice read: “Serious Incident. Please leave the station immediately.”
The warning indicated that passengers were being directed to leave the premises rather than remain on the platforms while the incident was dealt with.
The MTR Corporation temporarily closed Lam Tin station and suspended train services between Kwun Tong and Tiu Keng Leng stations. The disruption affected a section of the Kwun Tong Line, requiring passengers travelling through the area to adjust their plans.
Services between Kwun Tong and Whampoa stations continued at reduced frequencies, according to the incident report. Although trains continued to operate on that section, the reduced service meant passengers could not rely on the usual frequency of departures.
Firefighters attended the scene and extinguished the fire. Services at Lam Tin resumed at approximately 6.30pm on Tuesday, around an hour after the suspension began.
The station's reopening allowed normal access to resume, but the following morning's smoke report led to another suspension and renewed inconvenience for passengers.
Suspected electrical fault under investigation
The MTR Corporation's preliminary explanation for Tuesday's fire pointed to a possible electrical fault involving railway equipment.
According to local media reports, the company suspected that an insulating component of a switch near the tracks had caught fire following a short circuit.
The component's role and the precise sequence of events had not been fully established in the information provided. The suspected short circuit should therefore be treated as a preliminary explanation rather than a final determination of the cause.
Electrical equipment is part of the infrastructure required to operate a railway safely and reliably. A fault near the tracks can require the operator to stop services, restrict access and arrange for technical inspections before trains resume running.
In this case, the fire led to the closure of Lam Tin station and the suspension of services between Kwun Tong and Tiu Keng Leng. Firefighters extinguished the flames before the station reopened.
The second incident, involving smoke detected by staff on Wednesday, has added another question for investigators: whether the two disruptions involved separate faults or whether any underlying equipment issue requires further examination.
The available reports do not establish a connection between the incidents. Determining whether they share a cause will depend on the MTR Corporation's investigation and the technical evidence gathered from the site.
The company has confirmed that it is investigating both events. No final findings were included in the information available at the time of reporting.
Transport chief demands report within one month
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan addressed the incidents on Wednesday, calling on the MTR Corporation to investigate what happened and review railway safety as soon as possible.
Chan said the government was extremely concerned about the two disruptions. She also instructed the railway operator to submit a report on the incidents within one month.
The deadline places responsibility on the company to establish the circumstances surrounding the interruptions and explain its findings to the government.
The investigation is expected to examine the two incidents, although the precise scope of the review and any specific corrective measures had not been detailed in the available report.
Chan's response followed two consecutive days of disruption at the same station, including a fire that required evacuation instructions and a separate suspension after staff detected smoke.
For the government, the immediate task is to obtain a clear account of the events from the operator. For passengers, the outcome matters because reliable train services are essential to daily travel, particularly during the morning and evening commuting periods.
A report identifying the causes of the incidents would help clarify whether the disruptions resulted from isolated equipment failures or problems that require broader attention. Any recommended repairs, inspections or operational changes would also need to be communicated clearly if they affected future services.
The one month reporting deadline gives the MTR Corporation a defined period to present its findings. The information available so far does not indicate whether the company has identified the cause of Wednesday's smoke incident or announced any additional preventive measures.
Commuters face uncertainty after repeated disruptions
The incidents have placed passengers in the position of dealing with two unexpected service suspensions within a short period.
On Tuesday, the fire forced the temporary closure of Lam Tin station and interrupted services across part of the Kwun Tong Line. On Wednesday morning, another disruption required passengers to wait while staff dealt with the smoke report.
Some commuters voiced their dissatisfaction to station staff, according to Cable TV. The complaints reflected the practical difficulties created by an abrupt suspension, particularly when passengers have limited time to arrange another journey.
The emergency notices displayed on Tuesday also showed the instructions given to people inside the station. Rather than continuing their journeys as planned, passengers were told to leave while the incident was addressed.
The available information does not provide a total number of affected passengers or an estimate of the wider financial impact. It also does not establish whether either incident caused injuries.
The railway operator's investigation will need to distinguish confirmed facts from possible explanations and establish what happened during each disruption. Any conclusions about equipment failure, maintenance or links between the two events should follow the evidence rather than assumptions based on their timing.
The MTR Corporation has said it is investigating the incidents, while HKFP reported that it had contacted the company for a response.
The next formal milestone is the report requested by Chan, which is due within one month. Until the investigation provides clearer answers, passengers can monitor official MTR service announcements for updates and check their routes before travelling.
What caused the two consecutive disruptions at Lam Tin, and what steps will the MTR Corporation take to prevent another incident?