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.
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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.
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SCDF photos show knee-deep flood waters in tunnel between Braddell & Bishan MRT stations
The Singapore Civil Defence Force has been lauded by the public for working tirelessly through the night and day to bring North-South Line MRT services back on track.
New photos shared by SCDF showed their personnel at times in knee-high waters in the tunnel as they carried out their rescue operation of the MRT system.
The SCDF said they received a call for assistance at about 7pm on Saturday night after the tunnel between Braddell and Bishan became flooded with rainwater.
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SMRT maintenance team at Bishan 'failed us' during NSL disruption: Khaw Boon Wan
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan lambasted the SMRT personnel in charge of anti-flooding measures at Bishan MRT, even as he apologised for the massive North-South Line disruption earlier this month that affected some 250,000 commuters.
“The incident on the evening of October 7 was preventable … We are all sorry that it did. (But) if you ask me, it’s too embarrassing to even talk about it. It is so simple that it should not have happened…yin gou li fan chuan,” said Khaw, using a Chinese proverb that means failing at a simple task.
“That’s why we have to nail down who (is) responsible. I look to SMRT to do what is right …something must happen to the staff.”
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Khaw Boon Wan apologises for tunnel flooding. Calls incident 'preventable', 'sad and unnecessary'
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan & SMRT bigwigs yesterday apologised for the MRT tunnel flooding incident that led to a 20-hr train disruption affecting more than a quarter of a million commuters
Addressing the Oct 7 weekend incident for the first time, Mr Khaw said at a media briefing in Bishan depot: "The bottomline is MRT tunnels should not be flooded, full stop." He later added: "The SMRT team in charge of maintaining the anti-flood system at Bishan has failed us."
Calling the incident "preventable" & "sad & unnecessary", Mr Khaw acknowledged that it has affected public confidence in SMRT. "It should not have happened. We are all sorry that it did," he added.
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SMRT replaces senior staff days after 20-hour NSL disruption: Internal memo
Rail operator SMRT has replaced a senior staff member involved in maintenance, according to an internal memo on Thursday (Oct 12).
This came hours after the publication of a news report which blamed inadequate maintenance of a water-pumping system for the tunnel flooding that disrupted train services for more than 20 hrs on the North-South Line (NSL) last weekend.
Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao, which broke the news, added that SMRT staff overseeing equipment maintenance could be transferred out of their posts for failing in their duties.
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Bishan maintenance team leader removed; staff bonuses affected
The leader of a team in charge of anti-flooding maintenance was removed & the bonuses of the team's members will be affected, SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming said on Monday (Oct 16) at a dialogue on train disruptions caused by a flooding incident.
"When the incident occurred, I decided to remove the team leader immediately. I think the team members' bonuses will be affected," Mr Seah said, adding that their bosses' bonuses will also be impacted.
"Today we show that we take full responsibility of the failure & we definitely take full responsibility for the transport services we provide," he said. Mr Seah added: "If the thing fails, due to whatever reason, you take responsibility ... that's the message to each & everyone in SMRT."
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15 Quotes From Transport Bigwigs At SMRT’s Post-Flood Press Conference
It has been a long time coming, but SMRT leaders have finally step forward to apologize for the ever-reliable train faults that have continuously occurred throughout the year.
In a dialogue session with the media, Ministry for Transport Khaw Boon Wan, SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek and SMRT Chairman Seah Moon Ming addressed the company’s failure to prevent the recent flooding at Bishan MRT on 7 Oct. The flooding was one of the biggest train faults this year, and disrupted services for nearly 20 hours.
Except, their press conference was more of a bungled apology. Let’s take a look at what the bigwigs said.
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Netizens savagely rip apart Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan and SMRT CEO’s apologies
Trasnport Minister Khaw Boon Wan and SMRT’s top brass – SMRT CEO Desmond Quek and SMRT Corporation and SMRT Trains chairman Seah Moon Ming – finally addressed the tunnel flooding incident that caused a massive North-South Line (NSL) breakdown two weeks ago.
In the country’s first train disruption due to flooding, six stations were shut down – affecting a quarter of a million commuters. The Minister, Quek and Seah apologised to the public in a press conference yesterday evening.
Khaw blamed the flooding on poor maintenance, explaining that the “anti-flooding system there was poorly maintained” and caused rainwater to accumulate.
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Minister Khaw Boon Wan: SMRT has failed us
At a joint Land Transport Authority and SMRT press conference today (Oct 16), Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan defended himself against all criticisms over the recent train tunnel flooding by pushing all blame to SMRT:
“The Saturday incident, (on) October 7 evening, was sad and unnecessary – but preventable. It should not have happened. We are all sorry that it did … Our findings is that the anti-flooding system there had been poorly maintained… The SMRT team in charge of maintaining the anti-flood system at Bishan has failed us. Basically, MRT tunnels are designed to handle our weather, and can cope with very extreme storms, far more severe than what we experienced in the last two weeks… (The) bottomline is that MRT tunnels should not be flooded. Full stop.”Joining S$1.1 million-a-year Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan are the two ex-military men SMRT CEOs Desmond Kuek and Lee Ling Wee who each took S$1.8 million last year, the trio staged a fake apology without volunteering a resignation or pay cut.
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Wrong Guy Apologizing
When a convicted (and crippled) terrorist escaped from a high-security prison, the public called for the head of the then Minister of Home Affairs to roll, but our prime minister came out to say something that we do not have such a culture. Yup, we’re not like the Japs, you know. We don’t bow and apologize and commit hara-kiri.
So, since we do not have a culture of public officials bowing in apology for their organization’s failings, it is therefore refreshing to see the SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming, doing just that last week.
Seah’s desire to bear final accountability is laudable but most chairpersons of organizations do not run them. In the case of SMRT, it is its group chief executive Desmond Kuek that is responsible for day-to-day operations. Shouldn’t Kuek and Lee Ling Wee, (SMRT Trains CEO) be the ones to bow and apologize?
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Preliminary findings about flooded tunnel raise more questions
Two weeks after the North-South Line of Singapore’s metro system was severely disrupted because of flooding in a tunnel, there are still calls on social media for Desmond Kuek, the CEO of SMRT Corporation which operates the line, to resign or be sacked. Public anger intensified after SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming said at the 16 October 2017 press conference that the SMRT maintenance team will have their bonuses cut for failing to maintain the flood-prevention system. The public feeling was that Kuek himself should shoulder the blame and not point fingers at his staff, especially as he has been CEO for five years already.
Indeed, there is a growing perception that an entire cadre of military generals inserted to run various parts of public administration enjoy impunity whatever the failures on their watch. Kuek was a lieutenant general before. It is time for a proper example to be set.
This post is not intended to dwell on this issue. I have stated my point above. I didn’t come to this view immediately. Organisations do not always need to be decapitated each time a major problem surfaces. For example, whether CEOs of airlines ought to resign after an aircraft crash depends on the reasons for the crash. Sometimes it is pure bad luck, e.g. flying over a volcano that unexpectedly erupted. Other times, one can trace a history of slipshod maintenance of aircraft, an ingrained culture of ignoring safety checklists, or job rosters that are too demanding thus leading to fatigued staff despite protests — these are usually signs that a thorough personnel overhaul may be needed.
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MRT tunnel flooding: How it happened
Investigations after the Oct 7 incident found that a storm water pit in the tunnel between Bishan & Braddell MRT stations - designed to collect and pump out rainwater - was likely close to full before the recent flooding incident.
It was also found that due to the maintenance lapse, sludge & debris had accumulated in the lower compartment of the water pit, which could have affected the operational capabilities of pumps & float switches. They were to be inspected & maintained last month, but this was postponed as the maintenance team claimed it could not get a slot for track access during engineering hours.
The failure of the float switches resulted in water flooding the tunnel between Bishan station & the underground Braddell station. The water had to be manually pumped out through the night, with help from the Singapore Civil Defence Force and PUB.
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Commission inquiry MUST be held to ascertain reason of flooding in SMRT train tunnel
Yesterday late afternoon, transport operator SMRT announced that the train service between Bishan and Toa Payoh stations along North-South Line was interrupted due to a track fault.
At first, people assumed it to be the usual train fault that they are faced with on a day-to-day basis. But subsequent media reports revealed that there is flooding in the NSL train tunnel.
Photos of the flooding in tunnel were shared on social media, some widely spread such as the ones posted by Gilbert Goh, founder of Transitioning.org and Singapore's well-known organiser of protests at Hong Lim Park.
It was only till this morning that SMRT made the announcement on its social media channel, 12 hours after the first announcement of track fault, that the actual reason for the disruption is due to flooding in its train tunnel.
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NSL train disruption: Malfunctioning water pump system to blame for flooded tunnel
A water pumping system that broke down was to blame for the MRT underground tunnel flooding that completely shut down train services along 6 stations on the North-South Line (NSL) from Saturday evening to Sunday (Oct 8) afternoon, affecting thousands of commuters in one of the worst outages since 2011.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) revealed this in an update Sunday evening, although it said it was still looking into how this had happened. Details on when the water pumping system, which should have siphoned off rainwater buildup in an adjacent sump pit, was last maintained were not given.
The malfunction allowed water to overflow from the storm water sump pit during a torrential downpour on Saturday afternoon, & enter the tunnel through the rail tracks where trains from Bishan MRT station go underground towards Braddell MRT station.
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SMRT apologises for North-South line disruption in October, resolves to do better
Train operator SMRT apologised to members of the public on Monday (16 Oct) for the breakdown on the North-South Line earlier this month, saying that it is determined to learn the lessons from the incident.
The apology by top SMRT management at a media briefing at Bishan Depot comes slightly over a week after services on the Line were disrupted for about 20 hours from 7 to 8 October following flooding in an MRT tunnel.
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, senior management from the Land Transport Authority, representatives from the Public Transport Council & Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport were also present at the briefing.
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SMRT apologizes for train tunnel flooding, transport minister blames maintenance staff who failed to do their jobs
SMRT’s head honchos have finally spoken out about one of the worst train service disruptions in the country (a tunnel was actually flooded), and surprise, surprise, they’re not deflecting the blame.
In fact, SMRT’s president and group chief executive officer Desmond Kuek took full responsibility for the 20-hour service disruption on the North-South Line (NSL) on Oct 7. Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan didn’t find fault with media coverage this time, and blamed SMRT’s maintenance team for failing commuters.
Two weekends ago, about 250,000 commuters were left stranded on a stormy Saturday afternoon when train services ground to a halt on practically half the NSL. A portion of the train tunnel between Braddell and Bishan MRT stations were flooded due to the downpour, and a small fire occurred in the tunnel between Marina Bay and Raffles Place MRT stations shortly after. The incidents started around 5:33pm on Saturday, and it was only at 1:50pm the next day that all NSL services were fully restored.
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Khaw apologises for tunnel flooding
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan & SMRT bigwigs yesterday apologised for the MRT tunnel flooding incident that led to a 20-hr train disruption affecting more than a quarter of a million commuters.
Addressing the Oct 7 weekend incident for the first time, Mr Khaw said at a media briefing in Bishan depot: "The bottomline is MRT tunnels should not be flooded, full stop."
He later added: "The SMRT team in charge of maintaining the anti-flood system at Bishan has failed us."
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SDP Calls For Khaw Boon Wan To Step Down, Accuses Him Of Avoiding Responsibility
Singapore Democratic Party Rips Into Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan In A Scathing Blog Post.
In a scathing, pull-no-punches blog post on Wednesday (18 Oct), the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) blasted Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan for his incompetence and called for him to step down from his post.
This comes after the recent dialogue session that took place earlier on Monday (16 Oct) which addressed the flooding of the MRT tunnels which resulted in a 20-hour delay.
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SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek breaks silence, addresses public
The last time we heard from SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek was on September 15, when he was quoted about his company winning a tender to operate the Thomson-East Coast Line.
In the month that has followed, we can’t even keep track of the number of MRT service disruptions, delays and breakdowns we’ve seen. But not a word from him.
Not till now. Finally, the man we’ve all been longing to hear from has spoken.
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Desmond Kuek vs Floods: A long running feud
SMRT President and Group CEO Desmond Kuek has a long and impressive resume. A career soldier before he joined the civil service, he served as the Chief of Army and the Chief of Defence Force.
But maybe it’s a good thing he stuck to soldiering on land and never joined the Navy, because he seems to have had terrible luck when it comes to water.
An inauspicious start:
- Kuek left the Singapore Armed Forces and was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Environment and Water Resources, with effect from 1st July 2010.
- On the exact same day he took up his new post, heavy rains caused a flash flood at MacPherson Road and Tai Seng Drive.
- This would not be the last time that Kuek would battle floods in his new role. A few days later on 17 July 2010, a torrential downpour triggered flash floods in various parts of Singapore.
- Among the areas affected were Braddell Road, Changi Road, and Bukit Timah, where the floodwaters even submerged cars parked in condominium basements.
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How much time does SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek need to change the company’s culture?
In the span of time between the flood of the North-South line on Oct. 7 and the press conference on Oct. 16, neither Kuek nor anyone SMRT commented on the cause of the flood, or the recovery work being done.
Kuek appeared after nine days, but it was together with a praetorian guard of other men, including SMRT Chairman Seah Moon Ming, SMRT CEO (Trains) Lee Ling Wee, LTA Chief Executive Ngien Hoon Ping, and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan.
Yes, Kuek, together with Khaw and Seah apologised. But it was Seah, who recently became chairman this year, and has a non-executive role in the company, who bowed in apology.
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Bottomline is that MRT tunnels should not be flooded
According to LTA, it was a combination of factors. First, the authority explained the systems in place that prevent tunnels from getting flooded:
- Large stormwater pits collect excess rainwater before they can flow into the tunnel entrances. The stormwater pit at Bishan has the capacity of about two Olympic-sized swimming pools and can contain about six hours of continuous heavy rain.
- The stormwater pits are equipped with multiple pumps that siphon water to an external drainage system. These pumps are controlled by a series of sensors (also known as float switches), which automatically turn the pumps on when water reaches specified levels. Should water rise to a critically high level, a separate “alarm” switch (“high water level” switch) would trigger an alarm at the Operations Control Centre (OCC). This would alert duty officers, who can then investigate the cause of the alarm and activate additional measures if necessary.
“It’s so simple that it should not have happened … It’s as embarrassing as that,” the transport minister stated.
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NSL disruption: Malfunctioning water pumping system resulted in flooded MRT tunnel, says LTA
A water pumping system malfunction led to the flooding of the MRT tunnel between Bishan & Braddell stations and the delay of train services on the North-South Line (NSL), according to a statement by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Sunday (Oct 8).
A torrential downpour caused a section of the tunnel between the 2 stations to be flooded on Saturday afternoon, halting service on half the NSL - from Ang Mo Kio to Marina South Pier - for more than 3 hours.
Train services in both directions were suspended between Ang Mo Kio & Newton MRT stations for almost 20 hours before they resumed at 1.50pm on Sunday.
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SMRT Re-Deploys Maintenance Vice-President Following Historic Flooding of North-South Line Tunnel
SMRT has re-deployed vice-president of maintenance, Ng Tek Poo, following Saturday’s flooding of a tunnel in the North-South Line.
It’s unclear, however, which position Mr Ng has been re-deployed to.
Director of station operations Siu Yow Wee (pictured below) has be appointed director of Building and Services and will take over Ng’s role, reporting directly to the senior vice-president of Maintenance and Engineering.
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Water pumping system malfunction at Bishan MRT station caused tunnel to flood
A malfunction in the water pumping system at Bishan station caused water to collect in the MRT tunnel, leading to train service disruption along the affected stretch of North-South Line on Saturday that lasted close to 21 hours. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that preliminary investigations showed that water had entered the tunnel through the portal opening near Bishan MRT station, where above ground rail tracks transit underground, after a torrential downpour.
Under normal circumstances, rainwater runoff accumulated in the adjacent storm water sump pit would have been siphoned off by a system of pumps.
"Yesterday, the water pumping system malfunctioned, resulting in rainwater overflowing from the storm water sump pit into the tunnel opening and accumulating at the lowest point of the tunnel, between Bishan and Braddell stations," said an LTA spokesman.
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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.
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Citizens take issues with Transport Minister’s statement on maintenance lapses of SMRT
In a Channel NewsAsia report dated 16 October (Monday), it is reported that Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan made his first public address on the major North-South Line (NSL) tunnel flooding incident two weekends ago and stated that the SMRT maintenance team in charge of the anti-flood system at Bishan station had "failed us".
On 7 October (Saturday), train services on the North-South line were affected by flooding in the tunnel from Bishan to Braddell MRT stations. SMRT had to cut off trackside power supply as a safety precaution, causing service on six stops across the NSL to be disabled for about 20 hours. More than a quarter of a million commuters were affected in the country’s first disruption due to flooding and making it one of SMRT’s worst breakdowns in recent history.
Mr Khaw stated that the incident was "sad and unnecessary", however, preventable and should not have happened. He said, "We are all sorry it did. Whatever follow-up action which needs to be done, has already started. Nothing has been covered up. The incident has pushed back the recovery of public confidence in us."
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Netizens savagely rip apart Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan & SMRT CEO’s apologies
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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”.
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Apology by SMRT’s leaders: Better late than never
The much-awaited public apology from the SMRT’s group chief executive officer (CEO) finally happened. Better late than never.
The flooding incident at the MRT tunnel was perhaps the straw that broke the camel’s back.
It takes courage to admit mistakes & acknowledge shortfalls within the organisation that one is heading. I firmly believe that such an act is the first sincere step towards effective corrective actions.
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Disappointing that maintenance team at SMRT took the blame
I was disappointed that the maintenance team at Bishan MRT Station took the heat for the latest breakdown in service along the North-South Line run by SMRT. I was even more disappointed to learn that the authorities may not issue a heavy penalty to send a clear signal to SMRT & its shareholders, to get them to set timelines to fix the systemic issues.
In order for the SMRT maintenance team to learn its lesson, it seems hundreds of thousands of commuters had to pay a “fee” for their lesson as well. The last thing we want is to blame the team for a culture that the company created over the decades & then failed to address in the last 5 years since it got a new group chief executive officer.
5 years is a long time for self-examination. SMRT simply blamed its issues on a maintenance crew rather than look at its management team and how it sets the company’s priorities. Going after the cog when the wheel needs a major overhaul is really pointless.
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Sad to see maintenance team being blamed
I am saddened that Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan put the blame of the recent train breakdown solely on workers involved in maintenance.
What about the lack of planning & foresight at the top management level? When things go wrong, people in the lower ranks are the 1st to face the music. This will definitely affect the maintenance team’s morale.
Top executives & officers in the civil service are paid to answer to the public & to oversee and foresee potential problems, not to blame their subordinates when things go wrong. You would not see a blaming culture like this in Japan, where top management will admit their fault publicly & resign.
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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?
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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
Full Coverage:
Apology a 'turning point' for SMRT, workers' morale a concern, experts say
SMRT maintenance staff bonuses will be affected following system failure
KBW apologises tunnel flooding Calls incident 'preventable, sad & unnecessary'
Apology a 'turning point' for SMRT, workers' morale a concern, experts say
SMRT maintenance staff bonuses will be affected following system failure
Minister apologizes tunnel flooding, blames maintenance failed to do their jobs
Netizens savagely rip apart Minister KBW and SMRT CEO's apologies
SMRT, LTA have to get to root of the problem
SMRT apologises for N-S line disruption in October, resolves to do better
KBW apologises for flooding, SMRT's Bishan maintenance team 'has failed us'
SMRT takes 'full responsibility' for tunnel flooding, says CEO Desmond Kuek
Transport Minister: DTL open house disruption 'bad luck'
Tunnel flooding: Bishan maintenance team leader removed,staff bonuses affected
SMRT team in charge of maintaining anti-flood system at Bishan has failed us'
MRT tunnel flooding: SMRT maintenance staff bonuses will be affected
SMRT maintenance team at Bishan 'failed us' during NSL disruption: KBW
'Old system' penalties fines led to adversarial relationship bet regulator/operator
'Deep-seated cultural issues' partly to blame for train disruptions: SMRT CEO
SMRT takes 'full responsibility' for tunnel flooding, says CEO Desmond Kuek
Khaw Boon Wan on NSL flooding: SMRT maintenance team 'failed us'
Float switches at Bishan MRT faulty, bottom of water storage pit lined with sludge
SMRT apologises for North-South line disruption in October, resolves to do better
SMRT CEO: 'deep-seated cultural issues' behind history of service disruptions
Flooding in MRT tunnel preventable, says Khaw, Transport NewsNSL disruption
Malfunctioning water pumping system resulted in
Timeline of NSL disruption due to flooded MRT tunnel
Flooded MRT tunnel, trackside fire caused train disruption on NSL
rigorous' maintenance, remote monitoring system set up after flooding
NSL disruption: Flooded MRT tunnels cleared, train service resumes
NSL disruption: Faulty water pump flooded MRT tunnel
Flooding in MRT tunnel preventable, says Khaw
Khaw Boon Wan apologises for tunnel flooding. Calls incident
SMRT apologizes for train tunnel flooding, transport minister blames
Apology a 'turning point' for SMRT, workers' morale a concern
'More rigorous' maintenance, remote monitoring system set up after
SMRT steps up anti-flood checks, overhauls maintenance team
SMRT maintenance team at Bishan 'failed us' during NSL disruption
North-South Line flooding was preventable, SMRT team failed us
NSL disruption: Malfunctioning water pumping system resulted in
NSL disruption: Water pumping system malfunction at Bishan MRT
North-South Line disruption: Faulty water pump flooded MRT tunnel
Pumps at all MRT tunnels checked after rail disruption
More questions than answers from flooding incident on MRT line
Flooding in MRT tunnels: Not enough answers, assurance from
Straits Times forum letter lays smackdown on SMRT & LTA for not
SMRT replaces maintenance VP after flooding incident on North
SMRT maintenance Vice-President replaced, news source reports
Dig deep to solve problem of flooded tunnels
Vivian Balakrishnan takes Khaw Boon Wan's place to show support
SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek breaks silence, addresses public
Rethink track work with long-term efficiency in mind
SMRT restores train services on NSL after flooded tunnels cause disruption
Bishan, Braddell MRT stations among 35 flood-proofed in recent years
Flooded tunnels in NSL: Commuters fear a repeat during work week
Bonuses for team at fault 'will be affected'
SMRT, LTA have to get to root of the problem
SMRT replaces senior exec after flooding incident
Straits Times forum letter lays smackdown on SMRT & LTA for not
ST Forum letter criticising LTA excuses on MRT breakdowns
'Cultural issues' don't just involve maintenance team
Best for SMRT to be run wholly by the Government
SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek breaks silence, addresses public
MRT tunnel flooding: SMRT maintenance staff bonuses affected
Khaw apologises for NSL flooding, says SMRT's Bishan
KBW on NSL flooding: SMRT maintenance team 'failed us'
SMRT, LTA have to get to root of the problem
SMRT maintenance staff bonuses will be affected following system
Khaw: SMRT team 'failed us'
MRT tunnel flooding: Bishan maintenance team leader removed
SMRT apologizes for train tunnel flooding, transport minister blames
Apology a 'turning point' for SMRT, workers' morale a concern
Bishan maintenance team leader removed; staff bonuses affected
SMRT maintenance staff bonuses will be affected following system failure
Transport minister blames maintenance staff who failed to do their jobs
Apology by SMRT's leaders: Better late than never
Flooding in MRT tunnel preventable, says Khaw
KBW apologises, Calls incident 'preventable', 'sad and unnecessary'
Sad to see maintenance team being blamed
Malfunctioning water pumping system resulted in
Timeline of NSL disruption due to flooded MRT tunnel
Flooded MRT tunnel, trackside fire caused train disruption on NSL
rigorous' maintenance, remote monitoring system set up after flooding
NSL disruption: Flooded MRT tunnels cleared, train service resumes
NSL disruption: Faulty water pump flooded MRT tunnel
Flooding in MRT tunnel preventable, says Khaw
Khaw Boon Wan apologises for tunnel flooding. Calls incident
SMRT apologizes for train tunnel flooding, transport minister blames
Apology a 'turning point' for SMRT, workers' morale a concern
'More rigorous' maintenance, remote monitoring system set up after
SMRT steps up anti-flood checks, overhauls maintenance team
SMRT maintenance team at Bishan 'failed us' during NSL disruption
North-South Line flooding was preventable, SMRT team failed us
NSL disruption: Malfunctioning water pumping system resulted in
NSL disruption: Water pumping system malfunction at Bishan MRT
North-South Line disruption: Faulty water pump flooded MRT tunnel
Pumps at all MRT tunnels checked after rail disruption
More questions than answers from flooding incident on MRT line
Flooding in MRT tunnels: Not enough answers, assurance from
Straits Times forum letter lays smackdown on SMRT & LTA for not
SMRT replaces maintenance VP after flooding incident on North
SMRT maintenance Vice-President replaced, news source reports
Dig deep to solve problem of flooded tunnels
Vivian Balakrishnan takes Khaw Boon Wan's place to show support
SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek breaks silence, addresses public
Rethink track work with long-term efficiency in mind
SMRT restores train services on NSL after flooded tunnels cause disruption
Bishan, Braddell MRT stations among 35 flood-proofed in recent years
Flooded tunnels in NSL: Commuters fear a repeat during work week
Bonuses for team at fault 'will be affected'
SMRT, LTA have to get to root of the problem
SMRT replaces senior exec after flooding incident
Straits Times forum letter lays smackdown on SMRT & LTA for not
ST Forum letter criticising LTA excuses on MRT breakdowns
'Cultural issues' don't just involve maintenance team
Best for SMRT to be run wholly by the Government
SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek breaks silence, addresses public
MRT tunnel flooding: SMRT maintenance staff bonuses affected
Khaw apologises for NSL flooding, says SMRT's Bishan
KBW on NSL flooding: SMRT maintenance team 'failed us'
SMRT, LTA have to get to root of the problem
SMRT maintenance staff bonuses will be affected following system
Khaw: SMRT team 'failed us'
MRT tunnel flooding: Bishan maintenance team leader removed
SMRT apologizes for train tunnel flooding, transport minister blames
Apology a 'turning point' for SMRT, workers' morale a concern
Bishan maintenance team leader removed; staff bonuses affected
SMRT maintenance staff bonuses will be affected following system failure
Transport minister blames maintenance staff who failed to do their jobs
Apology by SMRT's leaders: Better late than never
Flooding in MRT tunnel preventable, says Khaw
KBW apologises, Calls incident 'preventable', 'sad and unnecessary'
Sad to see maintenance team being blamed
Disappointing that maintenance team at SMRT took the blame
‘Deep-seated cultural issues’ partly to blame for train disruptions
Bishan maintenance team leader removed; staff bonuses affected
'More rigorous' maintenance, remote monitoring system set up after flooding
Float switches at Bishan MRT likely faulty before Oct 7 flooding
Govt mulling years-long shutdown to overhaul Bt Panjang LRT
Minister Khaw Boon Wan: Don’t punish SMRT for train disruptions, it is “old system”
‘Deep-seated cultural issues’ partly to blame for train disruptions
Bishan maintenance team leader removed; staff bonuses affected
'More rigorous' maintenance, remote monitoring system set up after flooding
Float switches at Bishan MRT likely faulty before Oct 7 flooding
Govt mulling years-long shutdown to overhaul Bt Panjang LRT
Minister Khaw Boon Wan: Don’t punish SMRT for train disruptions, it is “old system”
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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