MTR Corporation halts unauthorised remedial works at station after column concerns

Hong Kong’s rail giant, the MTR Corporation, has ordered a contractor to fix substandard columns erected on the platform of a station under construction after discovering unauthorised remedial works to fill gaps of up to 30cm to the ceiling.

The corporation said on Saturday that routine inspections last month uncovered the incomplete works and that it had immediately instructed the main contractor, Bouygues-Dragages Joint Venture, to suspend the remedial works.

“During routine inspections of incomplete works in October 2026, we found that remedial works involving the filling of patching materials had been carried out at the heads of columns at the platform level of the Tung Chung West station construction site without the MTR’s prior approval,” a spokesman said.

“The MTR immediately instructed the main contractor to suspend the works concerned and launched an investigation to assess the condition of columns across the different zones at the station’s platform and concourse levels, as well as the associated work procedures.

“The identified issue does not affect the safety of the completed structure.”

The incident comes amid a string of construction scandals that have plagued the city in recent months, from faulty lift installations to missing reinforcement bars at a luxury development and substandard concrete at a public housing estate.

The pervasive issues have intensified scrutiny of industry practices and exposed gaps in government oversight.

The spokesman said the main contractor was required to submit a comprehensive report on the matter and a proposed rectification plan. Work would resume only after the MTR Corp had approved the plan alongside necessary approvals, he said.

The corporation stressed that all remedial work would be carried out in full compliance with all statutory requirements before final acceptance of the works and that the main contractor would bear all costs in relation to these works.

“The MTR Corporation attaches great importance to the supervision and quality of construction works on our railway projects, with robust assurance mechanisms and processes in place to ensure the quality of the works,” the spokesman said.

He added that relevant government departments had been told about the matter.

Photos obtained by media outlets show four columns, two reportedly display a gap of about 20cm to 30cm between the top and the roof due to missing concrete, with exposed steel reinforcement bars.

The South China Morning Post has approached the Buildings Department and Highways Department for comment.

In August last year, the MTR Corp also received complaints after a media report alleged that a subcontractor working on Tung Chung East station had used tiles manufactured in mainland China rather than German ones required under the contract.

It later filed a police report after it failed to resolve concerns about the authenticity of materials and documentation supplied by the subcontractor.

The MTR Corp confirmed that the materials were bricks used for partitions in station equipment rooms and that the main contractor later promised not to use that batch.