Under The Angsana Tree: Two SMRT staff killed by an oncoming train

Update 24 Aug 2017: Man run over by train at Fajar LRT station

A man was found dead on the LRT tracks near Fajar station early on Friday (Mar 24).

Police said they were informed that a man had been run over by a driverless LRT train at Fajar station at about 1am. They added that investigations are ongoing.

In an emailed statement, SMRT said it was alerted that a body was spotted on the tracks at Fajar LRT station after the last train in service left the platform at about 1am on Friday.

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Man run over by driverless train at Fajar LRT station dies

A man was killed this morning when he was run over by a train at the Fajar LRT station. TODAY reported that the man fell on the track at about 1am before being run over by a driverless train. The man’s body was spotted only after the last train service had left the platform.

“The police and SCDF were immediately alerted and arrived on site shortly after. We are extending our full cooperation to the police in carrying out their investigations.” said SMRT’s Head of Corporate Marketing & Communications Margaret Teo.

The man was pronounced dead by paramedics on arrival.

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Man killed after getting struck by 2 trains at Fajar LRT Station was drunk and fell onto tracks

Photo: Lianhe Wanbao. The deceased. Mr Ang Boon Tong, and his wife.

A man who was fatally struck by two different trains after falling onto the tracks at Fajar LRT Station had drunk about four bottles of beer prior to the accident.

The incident happened on March 24, 2017, at around 12.40am.

According to Lianhe Wanbao via Lianhe Zaobao, the deceased, Ang Boon Tong, 43, had drunk alcohol while having a meal with his wife, Madam Lee Yoon Cheng, in a foodcourt at the station.

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Sacking of staff over train accident part of fair disciplinary process: SMRT

SCDF officers extricate a body on the scene of the train accident at Pasir Ris MRT station which left two SMRT staff dead. TODAY file Foto

Defending its decision to sack 2 employees over the train accident that killed 2 men at Pasir Ris MRT Station, SMRT Corporation disclosed in an email to employees on Wednesday (Sep 14) that warning letters and performance downgrades were given to several others as part of a “fair, thorough and comprehensive” disciplinary process.

There was a public outcry after news broke on Wednesday morning that the transport operator had fired 2 employees, including the train driver, involved in the March 22 tragedy, where two trainees doing routine maintenance work were hit by an oncoming train.

In an email to all SMRT staff members later on Wednesday, SMRT Trains’ managing director Lee Ling Wee said: “It is important for SMRT Trains staff to know that our disciplinary process is fair .... We do not single out any staff or department to bear the responsibility when things go wrong.”

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More SMRT staff disciplined over track accident that killed two trainees

More SMRT employees, including "senior management", were disciplined for their role in the track accident on March 22 that killed 2 trainees.

In an internal mail to staff on Wednesday, SMRT Trains managing director Lee Ling Wee said 2 employees had been dismissed but several others had also been disciplined.

"Besides the 2 dismissals, verbal and written warning letters were issued to staff across several grades," Mr Lee wrote.

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Fatal track accident: More SMRT staff disciplined

2 trainees were killed when they were hit by a train on the track near Pasir Ris station on March 22. SMRT said in April that failure to follow safety measures - including allowing a train to ply in automatic mode while workers were on site, and not deploying watchmen to look out for approaching trains - had led to the accident.ST FILE FOTO

The Straits Times understands that the driver might not have seen the workmen on the track &, if he had seen them, did not sound the horn as required. According to sources, the train had switched tracks moments before hitting the workers. Train drivers have no control over track switching.

A 2nd employee, said to be part of the work team on the track that day, was also dismissed.

The Straits Times understands that a senior controller of the network's Operations Control Centre also left following the accident.

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Online flak for SMRT after sacking of 2 staff involved in Pasir Ris accident

SMRT Corporation has been criticised for sacking 2 employees involved in the fatal train track accident on March 22, with a number of social media users questioning its decision on Wed (Sep 14).

One of the sacked employees was said to be the driver of the train that killed Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari, 24, and Nasrulhudin Najumudin, 26.

In a public post, Facebook user Andrew Loh called the firing a case of “scapegoating”. He asked if the sacked train driver was really at fault, and even if he was, whether he should be made to bear the full responsibility.

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Andrew Loh FB 13 September at 18:40

Was the train driver really at fault? Even if he has to bear some responsibility, should he bear full responsibility? Seems to me this is scapegoating.

Amazing that, at the other end, despite years of failures, disruptions, delays, and all sorts of incidents on our trains, affecting millions of commuters, NOT A SINGLE higher-up has ever been held accountable.

In fact, they are even being paid more than a DPM! Why is it that it is always the lower-downs who are dealt with swiftly, while the higher-ups are rewarded handsomely despite numerous failings? Amazing.

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Safety lapse led to death of trainees

2 SMRT trainees were killed on an MRT track last month because vital safety protection measures were not taken.

That is the key finding of investigations made public yesterday by  SMRT's Accident Review Panel.

The panel comprised members of the SMRT Board Risk Committee and three independent experts from Keppel Corporation, Transport for London, which runs the London Underground, and a former staff member of Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway Corporation.

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Safety lapses cause of fatal accident: SMRT

Rail operator SMRT Corp has admitted that a failure to follow safety measures before allowing a work team onto train tracks had "directly" caused an accident which killed 2 of its employees last month.

The lapses included allowing a train to ply in automatic mode while workers were on site, not deploying watchmen to look out for approaching trains, and failing to provide early warning to the work team.

SMRT released the findings of its investigations in a statement yesterday, 34 days after workers Nasrulhudin Najumudin, 26, and Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari, 24, were hit by a train near Pasir Ris MRT station when they were on the track to investigate a technical fault on the morning of Mar 22.

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2 Singapore transit workers die after being struck by train

Two maintenance staff working on elevated tracks in Singapore's mass transit system were hit and killed by a train Tuesday, an official said. It was a rare tragedy on a train system that has experienced a string of disruptions in recent years, denting the city-state's reputation for efficiency.

The two workers, Nasrulhudin Najumudinand and Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari, were trainees who had worked for the company for two months, transit operator SMRT Corp. said.

They were part of a 15-member team that was on the track to investigate a possible track fault or malfunctioning signaling equipment near Pasir Ris station in eastern Singapore, chief executive Desmond Kuek said.

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2 killed were among 15 staff on walkway — SMRT deaths

A Singapore transit official says two maintenance staff working on elevated tracks have been hit and killed by an oncoming train. What we know is that they were walking along in a single file, along the side, along the walkway, they (the deceased) were the No 2 and No 3, the supervisor was in front of them.

"We are investigating exactly how they got hit by the train". The two men were the second and third man in the line.

The company had sent teams to investigate after a "signaling condition monitoring device" near Pasir Ris Station in the east of the city state was triggered at about 11 a.m. Tuesday, SMRT President and Group CEO Desmond Kuek said.

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Two dead after Singapore train hits metro workers

Two Singaporean metro maintenance workers were killed today after being hit by a train during on-the-job training, the rail operator said.

The incident comes after the country installed a range of safety measures following incidents in which passengers fell onto the tracks.

Nasrulhudin Najumudin, 26 and Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari, 24, were part of a technical team sent to investigate an alarm from signalling equipment, operator SMRT Corp said in a statement.

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2 Singapore transit workers die after being hit by train

Two maintenance staff working on elevated tracks in Singapore's mass transit system were hit and killed by a train Tuesday, an official said. It was a rare tragedy on a train system that has experienced a string of disruptions in recent years, denting the city-state's reputation for efficiency.

The two workers, Nasrulhudin Najumudinand and Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari, were trainees who had worked for the company for two months, transit operator SMRT Corp. said.

They were part of a 15-member team that was on the track to investigate a possible track fault or malfunctioning signaling equipment near Pasir Ris station in eastern Singapore, chief executive Desmond Kuek said.

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PM Lee Hsien Loong FB

Saddened to learn about the deaths of two SMRT trainees today. My deepest condolences to their families.

We understand that faults and malfunctions do happen in our train system, and generally take them in our stride. But it is different when two young men lose their lives in a workplace accident.

SMRT is working with the police to investigate the matter, to find out how the accident occurred. Whether it turns out to be an unforeseeable mishap, an individual lapse or a system problem, we must do our best to ensure this does not happen again. - LHL

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SMRT fatal accident: We must do our best to prevent repeat, says PM Lee

Authorities must do their best to prevent a repeat of the SMRT accident which claimed the lives of 2 maintenance staff, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tues (Mar 22).

"We understand that faults and malfunctions do happen in our train system, and generally take them in our stride. But it is different when two young men lose their lives in a workplace accident," Mr Lee wrote on Facebook.

"Whether it turns out to be an unforeseeable mishap, an individual lapse or a system problem, we must do our best to ensure this does not happen again," he stated.

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Standard protocol for staff to use track walkways to investigate faults: CEO

The width of the walkway next to the track is about 0.5 metres wide. (Image: SMRT)

2 trainee SMRT maintenance staff that were killed on the East-West MRT line had been hit by an oncoming train, SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek said in a news conference on (Mar 22). The incident happened about 150 metres away from Pasir Ris MRT station.

The victims were part of a group of 15 that had been sent to investigate an alarm for signalling equipment. Track access was authorised and the men had been on the walkway alongside the track, SMRT Trains' managing director Lee Ling Wee said.

"Normally when that happens there's track access, they request for track authorisation from the Operations Control Centre. When given, they will then proceed to the track. In this instance, that was given. The power was supposed to be switched off when they reached the location but unfortunately the accident happened before they actually reached the site where they were supposed to do the investigation," said Mr Lee.

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Tragedy at Pasir Ris: 'It is not known how the men got on track'

Why were the 2 men on the trackway?

The two men were part of a 15-member team comprising track and signalling technicians who were sent onto the trackway.

Members of both teams had gone to determine the cause of an alarm that had gone off at a servicing point about 150m from the platform.

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SMRT trainee killed in accident had planned to go to KL with his friends this week