Minister of Transport must take responsibility
Hong Kong newspaper SCMP calls our MRT a “laughing stock”
Over the weekend, Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post published two pieces discussing our MRT system. Both circulated quite widely on social media, with the first article totalling over 17,000 shares. In the article, “Southeast Asia specialist” Bhavan Jaipragas talks about how Singapore’s reputation efficiency is literally, going down the tube.
Jaipragas mentions how Singapore’s MRT network, once touted as one of Asia’s best, has been dogged by major breakdowns and delays in recent years. Today it lags behind Hong Kong’s MTR and the Taipei MRT in reliability, he says, despite how the government has since spent hundreds of millions of dollars overhauling the network.
He also talks about the October 7 flood in the underground tunnel near Bishan station that caused a 20-hour disruption and that while transport minister Khaw Boon Wan, SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming and SMRT Chief Executive Desmond Kuek apologised, “commuters and observers said their implications that rank-and-file workers bore responsibility raised questions on whether a lack of executive accountability was behind the metro network’s woes.”
read more
ROLLING STOCK TO LAUGHING STOCK: WHY IS SINGAPORE’S METRO STRUGGLING, WHEN HONG KONG’S IS A HIT?
The public scolding that Singapore’s public transport tsars handed down this week to a handful of rail maintenance workers over a large-scale breakdown is raising questions about where the buck stops in the management of the Lion City’s metro network, as rival Asian metropolises like Hong Kong and Taiwan pull ahead with superior train reliability.
In a rare move, transport minister Khaw Boon Wan on Monday criticised workers in charge of anti-flood measures at the metro operator SMRT Corp, after an October 7 flood in a underground tunnel near the suburban Bishan station caused a near 20-hour disruption to parts of the rail network. It was one of Singapore’s worst ever rail breakdowns.
A mechanism designed to remove stormwater from the tunnel failed to work because it was poorly maintained. Khaw said the maintenance team had “failed us”, and urged the metro operator to “nail down who [is] responsible”. “I look to SMRT to do what is right … something must happen to the staff,” Khaw said.
read more
IF SINGAPORE’S METRO IS IMPROVING, WHY THE DELAYS?
Official data shows the reliability of Singapore’s metro network has improved threefold in the past two years, but tell that to ordinary commuters in the Lion City and you are likely to get baffled looks. Ask the republic’s public transport officials, however, and they will tell you the public are not trusting the figures because of sloppy journalism.
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan in July said preliminary data showed trains travelled 393,000km on average before encountering a delay of more than five minutes in the first six months of this year, from an average of 133,000km in 2015.
Singaporean commuters who spoke to This Week in Asia in the Lion City this week said their experience from daily commutes was not in sync with the data. “When you go home at 6pm or 7pm, at the back of your mind you are praying there is not going to be another signalling fault or track fault or train fault or door fault that is going make you late,” said one commuter.
read more
SMRT flooding incident: Maintenance team signed off on work that was not done; staff suspended
Preliminary investigations by train operator SMRT have found that a maintenance team in charge of a pump system, which eventually failed and caused a massive 20-hr disruption, signed off on work that they had not done.
The manager & staff responsible for the maintenance of the Bishan pump system have been suspended & are assisting in investigations, said SMRT in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 31) evening.
Records for quarterly maintenance works for December 2016, as well as in March & June this year were submitted but investigations found that track access approvals were not issued for these dates.
read more
MRT tunnel flooding: Pump maintenance work not carried out on 3 occasions
Maintenance works for the Bishan portal sump pump system were not properly carried out since December last year, SMRT investigations into a train tunnel flooding incident have found.
Preliminary investigations show that quarterly maintenance works for Dec 2016, March & June this year were not conducted as prescribed in SMRT's manual, the train operator said in a news release on Tuesday (Oct 31).
Maintenance records were duly signed off & submitted. However, SMRT's investigation showed that there were no track access approvals issued for preventive maintenance of the Bishan portal sump pumps for the maintenance dates.
read more
Track fault slows down morning commute on parts of NSL for 5 hours
Train services on parts of the North-South Line heading to the city had to travel at a slower speed for about 5 hours on Wednesday morning (Oct 25) due to a track fault.
SMRT, which first announced the discovery of a track fault at 5am, said in a tweet at 10:13am that regular services between Yishun & Toa Payoh had resumed.
Earlier, the transport operator warned of a 20-minute travel delay between Yishun & Toa Payoh stations, in the south-bound direction, as well as possible rush-hour congestion at stations from Yishun to Ang Mo Kio. It had also urged affected commuters to consider alternative routes to the city.
read more
Track fault leads to slower train service on North-South Line
Commuters travelling between Ang Mo Kio & Bishan MRT stations will experience slower train service due to a track fault.
In a twitter post on Wednesday morning (Oct 25), SMRT said due to a track fault, trains to city will travel slower between Ang Mo Kio & Bishan. Free bus & bridging bus services are available.
SMRT suggested that commuters can travel via Jurong East & take the East-West Line to the city.
read more
NSL track fault means slower trains at peak hour commute
Due to a track fault on the North South Line (NSL), southbound commuters were advised to add 20 minutes of train travel time from Yishun to Toa Payoh, SMRT tweeted early on Wednesday (25 October). It added that the delay is not linked to the new signalling project.
SMRT later added that trains to the city would be travelling slower between Ang Mo Kio and Bishan stations as well. It said free bus and bridging services are available.
In an update on its Facebook page at 8:22am, SMRT said NSL trains heading towards the city were travelling at a reduced speed for “safety reasons”. It wrote, “North-South Line trains towards the city have been travelling at a reduced speed from Ang Mo Kio to Bishan for safety reasons since start of service this morning.
read more
Track fault delays train service on NSL, but at least SMRT alerted commuters about it on social media
By this point, train delays should come to no surprise at all to commuters. What’s surprising, however, is the fact that SMRT actually alerted folks about it — after an odd bout of silence on social media yesterday when one did happen.
As early as 5am today, SMRT announced that city-bound trains on the North-South Line (NSL) would be traveling at a reduced speed between Ang Mo Kio and Bishan stations for safety reasons — a track fault was being resolved. A speed restriction was imposed over a 150-metre stretch of the track, according to SMRT.
“This is expected to cause congestion during the morning peak at stations from Yishun to Ang Mo Kio,” the rail operator wrote on Facebook. Unfortunate, but a welcome heads-up for people who can make alternative plans before they start commuting.
read more
Track fault results in slower city-bound trains on North-South Line on Wednesday morning
A train crawls towards Bishan MRT station from Ang Mo Kio MRT station on Oct 25, 2017. ST FOTO: KEVIN LIM
A track fault caused city-bound trains along a 150m stretch of the North-South Line (NSL) between Ang Mo Kio & Bishan stations to run slower for much of Wednesday (Oct 25) morning.
Train operator SMRT, in a tweet before the start of service at 5am, warned commuters to expect a delay of 20 minutes from Yishun to Toa Payoh stations. This was later revised to 10 minutes at 8:05am.
Normal service resumed at 10:13am. The fault was not linked to the new signalling project.
read more
Commuters face crowded trains, slower journeys after software fault on East-West Line
A software fault along the East-West Line (EWL) caused traffic congestion for commuters during the morning peak on Tuesday (Oct 24) as trains moved at slower speeds for safety reasons.
Mr Patrick Nathan, SMRT's vice-president of corporate communications, told The Straits Times that the EWL "encountered a software fault on the legacy signalling system" at about 8:30am on Tuesday.
"The fault was rectified in around 10 minutes, but the EWL experienced some train traffic congestion during the morning peak because trains had to move at slower speeds for safety reasons when the fault occurred," he said, adding that commuters may have encountered delays as a result.
read more
Software fault on East-West Line signalling system caused rush hour delays: SMRT
A software fault on the signalling system of the East-West Line (EWL) led to delays during the morning rush hour on Tuesday (Oct 24).
At about 8:30am, the EWL encountered "a software fault on the legacy signalling system", Mr Patrick Nathan, SMRT's vice president of corporate communications said in a statement.
He added that the fault was rectified in about 10 minutes, but the line experienced "some train traffic congestion during the morning peak" as trains had to move at slower speeds for safety reasons when the fault occurred.
read more
Software fault behind Tuesday morning's East-West Line delay: SMRT
A crowd of commuters at the train platform at Outram Park. Photo courtesy of Tan See Kiat
A software fault affecting the signalling system on the East-West Line (EWL) was the cause of the delay in train services on Tuesday morning (24 October), said rail operator SMRT.
“At about 8.30am today, the East-West Line encountered a software fault on the legacy signalling system. The fault was rectified in around 10 minutes, but the EWL experienced some train traffic congestion during the morning peak because trains had to move at slower speeds for safety reasons when the fault occurred,” said SMRT vice president of corporate communications Patrick Nathan in an email to Yahoo News Singapore.
“As such, commuters may have encountered delays to their journey this morning. Station and train announcements were made informing commuters of the fault and to add an additional train travel time of 10 minutes. Normal services resumed at 9.00am. We apologise for the inconvenience caused to affected commuters on their peak hour commute,” said Nathan.
read more
Software fault on East-West Line's signalling system sparks rush-hour delays
The fault occurred around 8:30am and was rectified in about 10 minutes, said Mr Patrick Nathan, rail operator SMRT’s vice-president for corporate communications.
However, as the trains had to travel at slower speeds for safety, the East-West Line faced “some train traffic congestion during the morning peak” period, he added in an email reply to queries from TODAY.
read more
Downtown Line 3 hit by delays on opening day
Commuters reported delays on the Downtown Line 3 on Saturday (Oct 21) just hours after the new line opened its doors to the public.
On Facebook, some commuters posted fotos & said they were "stuck" at various stations including Bedok North station & Mattar station.
SBS Transit's senior vice-president of corporate communications Tammy Tan told ST that a defective train was withdrawn from service at the Tampines West Station, which caused a delay of about 5 minutes.
read more
Commuters experience Downtown Line delays on first day of DTL 3 opening
Commuters on the Downtown Line 3 on Saturday, Oct. 21, are reporting delays on the first day the line opens to the public.
The commuters say they are “stuck” at some stations such as Bedok North station and Mattar station.
The Straits Times reported that the delay is due to a train fault, and the defective train was pushed out. One train had stopped at Promenade station and moved only after 20 minutes.
read more
Downtown Line 3 makes grim debut as commuters experience train delays on opening day
Commuters who were hoping that they would not experience service disruptions on the brand new Downtown Line 3 (DTL3) were sorely disappointed. Several commuters reported experiencing delays on the line that opened to the public today, following a soft launch last week and an official opening ceremony last night.
Commuters who tried out the line during the soft launch also experienced train delays and were eventually instructed to alight trains and board bridging buses that were deployed to assist inconvenienced commuters.
It is believed that the disruptions on the DTL3 today were caused by a train fault and that the defective train was subsequently pushed out. Several commuters travelling on various stations on the line, including Bedok North and Mattar stations, were affected by this disruption. Some posted that they were delayed for at least 5 minutes while others reported being stuck for about 30 minutes.
read more
Downtown Line 3 open house marred by train service disruption
Sunday’s (15 October) open house event for the new Downtown Line 3 (DTL3) went slightly off track due to a “train fault” that led to services being disrupted.
At around 12.30pm, a track fault was announced in trains and commuters were requested to disembark at the Ubi station, said media reports.
SBS Transit, which runs the Downtown Line, said in a Facebook post at 1.05pm that there would be “no train service between DT1 Bukit Panjang and DT5 Beauty World Stations” due to a “train fault”. Free bus rides were made available at designated bus stops near the affected stations.
read more
Transport Minister: DTL open house disruption 'bad luck'
The Downtown Line (DTL) disruption on Sunday that dampened the mood of the DTL3 open house was "bad luck", Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said yesterday.
Responding to media questions during a press briefing on the tunnel flooding on Oct 7, he said he hoped commuters realise that "delays happen".
"Sometimes things will happen, but then it happens on when we were having our open house, then that is bad luck," he said.
read more
Are MRT disruptions “normal accidents”?
Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system has suffered disruptions of increasing frequency & severity in recent years. The latest one occurred on Oct 7 on the North South line, caused by the dramatic flooding of the tunnel between the Bishan & Toa Payoh stations.
Are such disruptions the new normal for the MRT system? Or as the sociologist Charles Perrow might ask, are they “normal accidents”?
Prof Perrow coined the term “normal accident” in his study of the 1979 Three Mile Island Accident, in which cascading & interlocking technical & human failures resulted in a nuclear reactor meltdown. He argued that normal accidents are both inevitable & inherent in systems that exhibit “tight coupling” and “catastrophic potential”.
read more
If poor leadership is an issue, consider a change of management
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan has blamed the team in charge of maintaining the anti-flooding system at Bishan MRT Station for the Oct 7 incident that affected the North-South Line.
Similarly, SMRT’s chairman Seah Moon Ming and group chief executive Desmond Kuek acted against the maintenance team by removing the team leader & cutting their bonuses.
But in light of repeated train disruptions, it is fair to ask: What actions will be taken against the management team itself?
read more
Transport Minister: Flooding of tunnel 'preventable', 'sad and unnecessary'. SMRT's Bishan maintenance team 'Has Failed Us'
Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung Electronics Mobile Communications Business, bows during a news conference in Seoul, South Korea
Kobe Steel Chairman and President Hiroya Kawasaki, left, apologizes over the company's falsification of inspection data at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on Wednesday
In Japan, the chairman and CEO would call a press conference, take a deep bow and, in the good old days, they may even commit hara-kiri
Netizens savagely rip apart Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan and SMRT CEO’s apologies
Youtube: Hara Kiri - Khaw Boon Wan
related:
Spate of MRT disruptions
MRT breakdowns are Singapore’s cross to bear
MRT from "Rolling Stock To Laughing Stock"
8 religious leaders “pray” for new train line
Navy fires commander of 7th Fleet after deadly USS McCain collision
Fresh round of signalling fault delays hit NSL & DTL
MRT gets more reliable despite rise in breakdowns
MRT hit by delays again due to signalling fault
MRT disruptions caused by signalling faults
Rise in major breakdowns but MRT gets more reliable
Train disruptions under new Minister of Transport
Train service disrupted on N-S, E-W Lines
Recap of recent Train service disruptions
Recent Train Disruptions
Two SMRTstaff killed by an oncoming train
Transport Woes #2
Transport Woes #1
Transport Woes - A Picture Story
Mixed Reactions To Announcement Of Free MRT Rides
Strange & inappropriate behaviour on public transport
Burned by mystery liquid in trains and bus stop
SMRT subway trains recalled after defects found
Why is everything breaking down in Singapore?
Massive blackout across Singapore
A 'Sign of Distress' in Singapore?
Spate of e-bike accidents
Spate of cars flipping over
Spate of vehicles on fire
Spate of facade cladding falling off
Spate of Escalator accidents
Spate of lift accidents
Ensure structural safety of HDB blocks b4 injury or death result
SG Buildings Crumbling Down Parody
HDB Lift ceiling collapsed upon 10-yr-old girl
Elevator and Train Operate With 'Open Doors'
MRT from "Rolling Stock To Laughing Stock"
MRT breakdowns are Singapore’s cross to bear
Jinx @ JEM
