14th August 2022 – (Hong Kong) It was announced earlier that he Hong Kong government intends to place the decommissioned 12-car trains of the East Rail Line of the MTR on the Wan Chai promenade near Causeway Bay, and convert it into a rest space. The recent opening of The Pierside Precinct, from the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre to Wanchai Star Ferry Pier has allowed visitors to walk a full 5.5 kilometres alongside Victoria Harbour, from Shek Tong Tsui almost to Causeway Bay.
However, the plan to place the train at Wan Chai promenade has caused many railway fans to be concerned that the trains will not be able to withstand the sea breeze for a long time and parts will be eroded. They are worried that the two-car train may need more maintenance and structural inspection under the management of the designated personnel at the seaside. If the repair work cannot be carried out any more, the trains may need to be “scrapped” directly.
Fans on social media page, “Riders” also pointed out that there is a railway museum in Hong Kong, but different old trains are displayed in “fragments” in different locations, making it difficult to comprehensively display them to reflect the history of railway development in Hong Kong and urge the authorities to find sites in new development areas to build a more complete transport museum.