London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Hong Kong’s old MTR trains destined for scrapyard as second-hand market dries up

Hong Kong’s old MTR trains destined for scrapyard as second-hand market dries up

MTR Corp open to donating to community, but expert says old trains occupy too much space.

The MTR Corporation is retiring 28 East Rail line trains that have served Hong Kong for nearly 40 years and most are headed for the scrapyard.

The 12-carriage trains made in Britain will be taken off service in phases for disposal.

A spokesman for the company said a contractor chosen by open tender to dispose of the trains had been told to remove spare parts for recycling and ensure that the disposal process complied with environmental laws and guidelines.

Some old trains end up in scrap metal graveyards. On Thursday, the Post found several carriages broken into sections and piled up with other discards in a Tuen Mun scrapyard.

That prompted Quentin Cheng Hin-kei, spokesman for commuter concern group Public Transport Research Team, to urge the rail company to explore offering the retired trains for community projects or putting them up for auction.

While he understood that the MTR Corp had to dump the old trains if there were no buyers, he thought they might be put to new uses as restaurants or display venues.

“After all, these old trains have their historical value and many people have fond memories of them,” he said.

The company spokesman said it was exploring the possibility of donating the trains to the community and had already given a carriage to the Fire Services Department to use for training.

A concern group is urging the MTR Corp to explore offering retired trains for community projects or putting them up for auction.


The 28 trains to be retired were built by English manufacturer Metro-Cammell and delivered to Hong Kong in batches since 1982.

Henry Cheung Nin-sang, chairman of the Association of Hong Kong Railway Transport Professionals, said it would be impractical for individual parties to use the old trains even if the MTR Corp donated them.

“The real problem is that a carriage takes up a lot of space and it is very hard to find a place to accommodate it,” he said.

Cheung recalled that in the past, MTR Corp could sell retired trains to developing countries willing to use second-hand rolling stock.

But the second-hand market was shrinking, he said, especially with cheap new trains available from mainland China.

“If the MTR can’t find a buyer for the retired trains, it has no choice but to send them to the scrapyard,” he said.

Besides, he pointed out, the trains to be retired were old and overused, with little restoration value.

“For a normal train, its life span is usually about 50 years. But the East Rail trains have been used excessively and are now equivalent to being more than 70 years old. Their market value is actually zero,” he said.

Even if the old trains were refurbished, their maintenance cost would be very high. “When you can source new trains at a cheap price in China, you won’t bother with buying old trains,” he said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×