SINGAPORE: In response to the major disruption along the East-West Line (EWL) affecting train services between Boon Lay and Queenstown stations today (25 September), Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat addressed the situation from Beijing, where he is attending the Global Sustainable Transport Forum.
Mr. Chee confirmed that there is a possibility normal train services may not resume tomorrow, as the teams from SMRT and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will assess the situation and provide updates during engineering hours tonight.
He also emphasized LTA’s commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into the incident to identify areas for improvement.
Separately, SMRT Chairman Seah Moon Ming and GCEO Ngien Hoon Ping issued apologies to commuters on Wednesday afternoon.
They explained that the disruption was caused by an “unforeseen issue” during the withdrawal of an old train, wherein a defective axle box on one of SMRT’s first-generation trains dropped.
This led to “the wheels of a bogie to come off the running rail and hit track equipment, including the third rail and point machines, leading to the power fault.”
“At SMRT, we hold the safety and well-being of our commuters and our staff as our highest priority. We fully understand the inconvenience, frustration, and delays this disruption has caused, and we deeply regret the impact it has had on your journey,” they stated.
Both the SMRT Chairman and GCEO assured that they are working diligently to restore services as quickly as possible.
“Once again, we extend our sincerest apologies for the disruption and deeply appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued trust in SMRT.”
In a Facebook post, Minister Chee confirmed that the disruption was linked to a train fault near Clementi MRT Station.
As SMRT worked to withdraw the damaged train, it caused significant damage to the tracks, including the running rails and the third rail that supplies power to the trains. Due to the extent of the damage, normal train services could not resume for the remainder of Wednesday.
To alleviate commuter inconvenience, SMRT will provide shuttle train services between Boon Lay and Jurong East (interchange with the North-South Line) and between Queenstown and Buona Vista (interchange with the Circle Line). Additionally, bridging bus services will be offered at no cost to commuters.
Acknowledging the potential impact on students taking the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE), Minister Chee stated he is in contact with the Ministry of Education and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board to prepare contingencies.
“I would like to thank commuters for their patience and also express my appreciation to our transport workers who are working hard to restore the train service as soon as possible.
North-East Line disrupted for 2 hours in morning due to signalling fault
Train services on the North-East Line (NEL) were disrupted for about two hours during the morning rush hour period on Feb. 10 due to a signalling fault.
Commuters were advised to expect up to 30 minutes of additional travel time at the height of the disruption.
Delay started before 6:30am
SBS Transit, which operates the NEL, said in a 6:23am post on X that NEL service had been delayed due to a signalling fault.
It advised commuters to expect additional travel time of about 10 minutes.
SBS Transit's subsequent Facebook post clarified the fault was encountered at Buangkok MRT station.
Commuters at HarbourFront, Outram Park, Chinatown, Dhoby Ghaut, Little India or Serangoon MRT stations were advised to use alternative MRT lines, such as the Circle Line, North-South Line and Downtown Line.
SBS Transit said that free regular bus rides were made available at Serangoon, Hougang and Sengkang bus interchanges.
Commuters could also take free regular and bridging bus services at designated bus stops between Dhoby Ghaut MRT station and Punggol Coast MRT station.
In a subsequent 7:11am post, SBS Transit said that 20 minutes of extra travelling time could be expected.
A 7:43am post placed the extra travelling time at 30 minutes.
The crowds
In a post on Facebook, a large number of commuters were seen crowding at Punggol MRT station during the disruption.
The user wrote that crowds gathered at the platform and station on Feb. 10 morning as the packed city-bound trains did not move off from the station for a long time.
"I can't imagine the situation down the line," he added.
Back to regular service by 8:28am
At 8:28am, SBS Transit said in an update that the NEL was back to regular service.
"Once again, we are sorry for the inconvenience caused," the operator wrote.