Operational Integrity

The Lloyd's Rail Report

The systems and management procedures that underpin our performance pledges were put to the test on several occasions in 2004. A spate of train service disruptions occurred over a short period of time that affected passenger services, causing delays and inconvenience to commuters.

In response to the highly unusual frequency of these disruptions, senior management set up an internal high-level task force to identify causes of each incident and assess any pattern or interconnectedness. In a parallel move, Lloyd's Register Rail was engaged to conduct an independent review of the MTR system and our maintenance practices. The three-month review and submitted report by Lloyd's Register Rail identified a number of issues and areas for improvement. Sixteen recommendations were tabled ranging from enhancing track inspections, employment of additional appropriate technologies to monitor and maintain the rail network, minimising the impact of new projects on existing networks during integration phases and better management of passengers' perceptions and distress during such incidents. Adoption of the recommendations made in the report should take the Corporation into a leading position in rail asset management. The report also concluded that there was no evidence of decline in the network after 25 years of service.

While response time and recovery procedures for each incident was on average under three minutes, demonstrating the effectiveness of built-in recovery systems and staff training, the internal review of our systems and management processes have instituted changes to further ensure rail service integrity and passenger safety. Eighteen major initiatives covering rail infrastructure improvements, service recovery procedures and a passenger communications programme were identified by our own internal task force for immediate attention. Most of the initiatives are scheduled for completion or be fully implemented by year-end 2005.

These incidents, while non-threatening to passenger safety, tested the public's tolerance in our service standards. In response, a series of timely public briefings involving the media, Government and the community at large were organised to brief the public on the integrity of the system, the effectiveness of recovery procedures and, the undertakings to identify and eradicate the sources of these incidents. Station staff training has been enhanced to enable front line managers to better manage the immediate network impact as well as properly communicate with passengers on an incident.