Passengers are stranded at Tiu Keng Leng MTR station in Hong Kong, during morning rush hour on July 30, 2019, as train services are disrupted by protesters. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong's MTR has regretted the obstruction of train services by protesters at two of its rail line during the morning rush hour on Tuesday.

Train services were disrupted between around 8 am and 11 am as protesters crowded onto subway platforms and obstructed train doors. 

In a message issued on its official website at 9:20 am, the railway operator informed commuters of disruption on the Kwun Tong Line owing to a number of train door obstruction incidents and someone activating safety device on the platform.

This was the second time in less than a week that protesters had disrupted railway service

Services at Lam Tin, Yau Tong and Tiu Keng Leng stations were suspended. Trains on the rest of Kwun Tong line were running at four-minute intervals.

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After 10 am, a similar announcement on disruptions on the Island Line caused by train door obstructions was issued. Services between Causeway Bay Station to and from Quarry Bay Station were suspended. Trains on the rest of the line were running at five-minute intervals.

In separate, subsequent alerts on its website as the morning progressed, MTR Corp informed commuters of gradual resumption of usual services.   

Meeting the press at around 1pm,  MTR Corp operations chief Alan Cheng Kwan-hing said the rail operator regretted such behaviors which obstruct train services. He called on people to consider other passengers when they express their views. Cheng also thanked passengers who were inconvenienced for their patience.

This was the second time in less than a week that protesters had disrupted railway service.

READ MORE: Protesters disrupt HK train services

There was yelling and confusion as sometimes-angry commuters found themselves stuck waiting in large crowds on subway platforms as people wearing black T-shirts prevented trains from leaving -- in some cases, by deliberately sticking their arms out of train doors to stop them from closing, reports Bloomberg.

The morning's disruption came after a press conference by the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Monday. Yang Guang, a spokesman for the office, said recent violent attacks have had a severe impact on the rule of law, public order, economy and global image of Hong Kong.

City University of Hong Kong said consumer confidence in the city was now at its lowest level in half a decade. Most members of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association had seen significant declines in sales in the past month. And the travel sector predicted that number of Southeast Asian tour groups visiting Hong Kong will fall as much as 70 percent.

With Bloomberg inputs