MTR Hong Kong staff creativity goes viral with catchy announcements
In one video, the East Rail Line driver can be heard mimicking the standard announcement telling passengers to 'please step back from the train doors' and then adding, 'du du du du du du duuu', the warning sound that carriage doors are about to close.
Social media users widely circulated the video over the past 36 hours and said passengers on board could not help but laugh when the driver, also known as a train captain, copied the door-closing alarm.
'I was on a northbound train on the East Rail, the standard passenger announcement appeared to have broken down and the captain imitated the announcement. All the people on board laughed so hard at it,' account holder 'mr.ronpang' wrote on Threads.
Another internet user, 'zingzing0237', said that he 'strongly' urged the MTR Corporation to retain the driver's way of making passenger announcements.
Another clip capturing people's attention features a male MTR assistant who rapped passenger announcements at the Disneyland Resort station in Cantonese, English and Mandarin in a viral video uploaded three days ago.
'Octopus, keep left please. Visa, Master keep right please,' he rapped, referring to payment methods while signalling directions to the crowds by hand.
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In another clip, taken at Kai Tak station at the weekend, MTR staff are seen holding up neon light signs similar to those used by fans, with messages such as 'prepare the Octopus card' and 'open the QR code' to manage crowds heading to a concert by Taiwanese singer Jay Chou at the nearby Kai Tak Stadium.
Chou's songs were played in Kai Tak station for fans heading to the stadium for his three-night run of concerts between Friday and Sunday.
Gigantic posters of the concerts, themed 'Carnival World Tour 2025 – Hong Kong', were also displayed in the station so fans could take selfies.
Aaron Kei Chun-on, founder of the Facebook rail fans concern group page 'Train Not Arriving', said he welcomed these types of expressions.
'The atmosphere is better, the feeling is better,' he said. 'I feel that in a very regimented place, being able to have a little more warmth and humanity is a good thing.'
But Kei also cautioned that a balance had to be struck to avoid confusion, especially for tourists or those unfamiliar with the system. He suggested that while creativity should be appreciated, clear protocols were needed.
A clip capturing people's attention features a male MTR assistant who rapped passenger announcements at the Disneyland Resort station in Cantonese, English and Mandarin. Photo: Edmond So
'When everyone develops something with so much personality, it might be disorienting for those who are not familiar [with the system],' he said.
'I think you can develop this further, but the premise is that there must be some regulations or basic principles to follow.'
Kei noted that MTR Corp management had reportedly praised the rapper at the Disneyland station. He suggested the approach could be officially adopted for special circumstances, such as at concert venues or other major events.
'This is a direction that can be considered,' Kei said. 'As long as you don't depart from the main direction, it's OK. I think this is a point for consideration.'
The MTR Corp said it was dedicated to providing quality customer service to passengers.
'We thank the public for its appreciation and also recognise the efforts of our colleagues who serve with heart,' it said.
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