MTR Lam Tin Station Fire Disrupts Kwun Tong Line During Evening Rush Hour
HK01 · 21 SOURCESabout 19 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
A fire beside the tracks at Lam Tin Station on the MTR Kwun Tong Line caused major service disruptions during Tuesday evening's rush hour on October 13, 2026. The incident forced the complete closure of Lam Tin Station and suspended train services between Kwun Tong and Tiu Keng Leng stations. Firefighters and MTR personnel successfully extinguished the blaze by 6:29 pm, with safety checks now in progress and services gradually returning to normal.
Key Points
- The fire was caused by a short circuit in a point machine (道岔/波口) insulation rubber component at Lam Tin Station around 5:30 pm
- Services between Kwun Tong and Tiu Keng Leng stations were suspended for approximately one hour while Kwun Tong to Whampoa services continued at 4-minute intervals
- Fire and MTR personnel extinguished the blaze by 6:29 pm; services gradually resumed after 6:30 pm following safety checks and cooling of equipment
- Free shuttle buses were deployed between Kwun Tong, Lam Tin, and Yau Tong stations, while KMB and Citybus enhanced multiple routes to handle displaced commuters
- Former MTR engineer Cheung Chun-yu noted that while sparking in point machines is not uncommon, burning insulation rubber is rare but difficult to prevent entirely
Why It Matters
The incident struck during peak evening commute hours on Tuesday, affecting thousands of passengers travelling between Eastern Kowloon and the Tseung Kwan O area. With Lam Tin Station serving as a critical interchange connecting multiple districts and the affected line linking residential areas to the central business district, the disruption highlights the cascading impact on Hong Kong's transportation network when critical rail infrastructure fails during the most inconvenient time.
The incident struck during peak evening commute hours on Tuesday, affecting thousands of passengers travelling between Eastern Kowloon and the Tseung Kwan O area. With Lam Tin Station serving as a critical interchange connecting multiple districts and the affected line linking residential areas to the central business district, the disruption highlights the cascading impact on Hong Kong's transportation network when critical rail infrastructure fails during the most inconvenient time.