'Tung Chung Line system upgrade won't affect services'

Part of the Tung Chung Line's existing signalling system will undergo an upgrade in the early hours of Sunday, according to MTR officials, assuring the move would not affect train services. The railway company is planning to upgrade its automatic train supervision system, which is mainly responsible for real-time centralised monitoring and management, during non-service hours on March 29. The change is part of the MTR line's extension project, which includes connecting new rail tracks to the planned Tung Chung East stop. Tim Leung, general manager of railway and system integration, on Wednesday said the upgrade enables the new track section to be "seamlessly integrated" into the existing railway network. He also ensured that the procedure would not impact train services on Sunday. "This upgrade will take place after the last train service of the day ends, and the first Tung Chung Line and Airport Express trains on the following day will run normally," Leung said. "We will closely monitor the operation. We also have comprehensive contingency plans in place. If any unforeseen circumstances arise that affect the operation of the Tung Chung Line, we will take immediate action to minimise the impact." The next step for the extension project, the MTR Corporation said, is to connect the new Hong Kong-bound track to the line in the second half of the year. Edited by Tony Sabine