Under The Angsana Tree: Spate of MRT disruptions

Update 15 Oct 2024: First-generation trains have service life of 38 years, will be replaced by end-2026

The faulty train that triggered a massive six-day disruption on the East-West Line (EWL) in September was three years away from the end of its service life, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said in Parliament on Oct 15. That being said, Mr Chee also pointed out that train reliability depends on several factors, not just age. Trains that remain reliable can continue to be used if they have not exceeded their service life, he added.

Responding to questions from Workers’ Party (WP) MPs Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) and Dennis Tan (Hougang), Mr Chee said the “structural integrity of the (first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI)) trains was assessed by an independent assessor in 2012, who concluded that the trains have a total service life of 38 years”.

The MPs had asked about the maintenance regime of the KHI trains still in service. Forty-eight of such trains – excluding the faulty one – are still in service, plying the North-South Line and EWL. The trains are at least 35 years old. Mr Chee said in a ministerial statement that these trains are being phased out, with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) planning to “replace all KHI trains with new trains by end-2026, before they reach their 38-year service mark”.

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Singapore's first-generation SMRT train stalls near Tiong Bahru station, causing delays on East-West line

Commuters at Bugis station after an announcement was made for passengers to disembark

Train commuters on a section of the East-West Line were delayed on Thursday (Oct 10), after an old train broke down near the Tiong Bahru station.

A first-generation westbound Kawasaki Heavy Industries train had stalled at about 12.30pm, and all the passengers safely disembarked at the Outram Park station, SMRT said in a Facebook post on Oct 10. The operator said at 1.14pm that the fault was cleared, and train services were being restored.

SMRT had said earlier on Facebook that commuters had to add 25 minutes to their travel time from Outram Park to Queenstown stations. They were also to add 20 minutes when travelling from Queenstown to Bugis stations. Free regular bus services were provided between the Outram Park and Queenstown stations. “We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to your commute,” said SMRT.

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EWL services resume after delays caused by stalled train near Tiong Bahru MRT station

SMRT said at 1.14pm that the fault was cleared, and train services were being restored

Train commuters on a section of the East-West Line (EWL) were delayed on Oct 10, after a train broke down near Tiong Bahru MRT station.

A first-generation westbound Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) train had stalled at about 12.30pm, and all passengers got off safely at Outram Park station, SMRT said in a Facebook post on Oct 10.

The operator said at 1.14pm that the fault was cleared, and train services resumed at 1.22pm. The incident was related to an electrical fault on the train, which has since been moved to a depot, SMRT said.

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Services on East-West Line resume after stalled train causes delays

Commuters are seen waiting at Outram Park MRT station on 10 Oct 10 2024

East-West Line rail services were disrupted in both directions on Thursday (Oct 10) due to a train fault, said transport operator SMRT. The disruption was resolved in about an hour. In an update at 1.12pm after services were restored, SMRT said that the fault had been caused by a stalled train.

"On Oct 10, at about 12.30pm, a first-generation westbound KHI (Kawasaki Heavy Industries) train stalled near Tiong Bahru station due to a train fault. All commuters safely disembarked at Outram Park station," SMRT said in its Facebook post.

"In-train and station announcements were made advising commuters to expect up to 25 minutes of additional travel time. Free regular bus services were provided between Outram Park and Queenstown stations. "We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to your commute."

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MRT services resume on TEL after delay due to train fault

Commuters board the train heading in the direction of Bayshore after normal service resumed at Woodlands North MRT station on Oct 1

A train fault caused a delay on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) on Oct 1, with trains moving slower from Woodlands North station towards Lentor station.

In a social media post at 5.05pm, SMRT said the train fault would lead to an additional 10 minutes of travel time. In a subsequent post at 5.13pm, the operator said a shuttle train service was available between Woodlands North and Woodlands South, as well as between Woodlands South and Lentor.

Commuters could also take a provisory service between Lentor and Bayshore stations, as well as free regular bus services between Woodlands North and Lentor. At 5.52pm, SMRT updated that train service had fully resumed.

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East-West Line MRT services fully resume after six-day disruption

Commuters waiting for the eastbound train at Buona Vista MRT station after train services resumed on the East-West Line on 1 Oct 2024

Train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista MRT stations resumed on Tuesday morning (Oct 1) after a six-day disruption.

When CNA visited Buona Vista and Boon Lay MRT stations on Tuesday morning, operations were running smoothly and SMRT staff could be seen guiding commuters and answering questions. Passengers queued in an orderly manner to board trains, while some commuters approached SMRT staff members to check if services had fully resumed.

They were quick to reassure people that everything was back to normal. “All train services have resumed. We would like to thank you for your patience,” said SMRT in an announcement, wishing commuters a safe journey.

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Full Resumption of Service on East-West Line on 1 October 2024

Full train services on the East-West Line (EWL) will resume on Tues, 1 Oct 2024 from the start of passenger service hours

LTA and SMRT engineers and technicians have successfully replaced the 10 rail segments that had developed new cracks, as of late last night. They then worked through the night to conduct comprehensive testing of the track and trackside equipment. These tests comprise a system of functional and safety tests on the track, power supply and train signalling systems. The tracks were also subjected to a sequence of load tests, ultrasound checks, followed by endurance runs using passenger trains packed with sandbags. We conduct these safety checks thoroughly to ensure commuter safety, before we fully resume passenger service.

For safety reasons, there will be Temporary Speed Restrictions (TSR) imposed on westbound trains travelling on the repaired sections of the tracks. This is part of the standard process following rail replacements, where trains will travel more slowly at 40km/hr. The TSR will be imposed for three days, until Thursday, 3 October. We advise commuters who are travelling to the West on the East-West Line to plan for an additional five minutes of travel time. We extend our deepest appreciation to all our workers who have been working day and night to complete the repairs and testing works to fully restore train services.

We also thank all the ground staff from the bus operators, and Police Officers from TransCom, Traffic Police and Police Land Divisions, as well as all volunteers, for assisting commuters with their journeys. We thank commuters for their patience in bearing with the inconveniences they have experienced during this disruption. We are also grateful to our commuters for their understanding, and for showing care and concern to our workers with their acts of kindness.

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Train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista back to normal after 6-day disruption

Passengers heading westwards on the East-West Line have been advised to factor an extra five minutes into their travel time

Train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations along the East-West Line have resumed from the start of passenger service on Oct 1, after extensive track damage downed train services for six days.

When The Straits Times visited Jurong East station at 5.30am on Oct 1, digital boards and signs showed that all MRT services on the line had resumed. Signs that previously directed passengers to a temporary shuttle train service towards Boon Lay station had been removed. The first eastbound train arrived just after 5.40am.

From 5.45am, ST observed that eastbound trains were arriving alternately at a steady pace, with at least one empty train unavailable for boarding passing through the station after the departure of each train serving passengers. Westbound trains travelling on sections of repaired track such as those between Dover and Clementi stations will observe a temporary speed limit of 40kmh till Oct 3, as part of a standard process after rail replacements. Trains typically travel at speeds of between 60kmh and 80kmh. Passengers heading westwards on the East-West Line have been advised to factor an extra five minutes into their travel time.

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Train disruption on EWL to last several more days; SMRT aims to restore services on Sept 30

Passengers at Jurong East MRT station at about 6am on Sept 26

The disruption of train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations on the East-West Line will last several more days, with rail operator SMRT aiming to restore services fully on Sept 30.

SMRT and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) had said earlier on Sept 26 that they aimed to partially restore services on Sept 27 by running a shuttle train service that would go up and down the affected four-station stretch every 20 minutes. Shelving this plan late on Sept 26, LTA and SMRT said they had tried their best to make the shuttle service option work by speeding up repairs on one of the tracks.

“We have since determined that it can be done, but it would mean slowing down the repairs on the parallel damaged rail, as repairs cannot be done when the shuttle train service is in operation,” they said. On balance, it is “better to prioritise repair and expedite restoring full service earlier”, rather than run the shuttle service, they added. “SMRT is aiming to restore full service on Monday (Sept 30) and running the shuttle train could risk delaying full restoration by at least a few days.”

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Incident that caused MRT service disruption was a rare case, say experts

A repair crew is seen on Sep 26, 2024, working on a faulty MRT train along Commonwealth Ave West

Experts told CNA that the train fault that caused an MRT disruption stretching across nine stations and now expected to last several days was a rare case. On Wednesday (Sep 25), a component fell off a first-generation train, resulting in what authorities described as "extensive damage" to the train track and equipment between Clementi and Dover stations. This, in turn, caused a power trip that led to the disruption on the East-West Line, one of the two original lines built back in the eighties.

"Just like cars, (trains) have axle boxes; it’s very rare for (them) to drop. It’s very unfortunate and a very rare case,” said electrical engineering expert Teo Chor Kok. Mr Teo said this was the first time he had heard of an axle box dropping off after becoming dislodged. Routine inspections of the train would have included the undercarriage area and the axle boxes, he added.

The axle box, which houses the bearings that allow the train's wheels to rotate smoothly, is designed for heavy-duty use, said another expert. "Under normal circumstances, the axle box, bogie (an undercarriage with wheels) and train wheels do not come off from the train," said Mr Jumadi Husani, the chief specialist for rail operations at Dubai's Roads & Transport Authority. If it does happen, it is mainly due to improper installation of parts after maintenance or testing activities or if defective components like damaged bolts or screws are not replaced, Mr Jumadi said.

More than 300 engineers, technicians working to repair 'extensive' damage on East-West Line, says Chee Hong Tat

MRT disruption: Jurong East-Buona Vista stretch to remain closed for third day running; full service targeted for Monday

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Train disruption on EWL to go into third day

LTA, SMRT aim to partially restore services on Sept 27

The disruption of train services along a stretch of the East-West Line between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations will continue into a third day, after checks found that a faulty train had caused extensive damage to tracks and trackside equipment on Sept 25.

Rail operator SMRT and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) are aiming to partially restore services on Sept 27, and run a shuttle train service every 20 minutes along the affected stretch. The second-longest rail disruption in Singapore to date affected about 358,000 passengers on Sept 25. Another 516,000 will have their journeys disrupted on Sept 26.

It was triggered by a first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries train, which encountered a fault at around 9am on Sept 25 and was withdrawn to Ulu Pandan Depot, said LTA and SMRT in a statement. While en route to the depot, a defective axle box on the third carriage of the six-carriage train dropped onto the tracks near Dover station, causing one bogie to come off the running rail. This is the first time such an incident has happened.

Longer travel time, snaking bus queues: EWL passengers cope with 2nd day of train disruption

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No trains between Jurong East and Buona Vista for rest of Thursday, with aim for partial service by Friday

A repair crew is seen on Sep 26, 2024, working on a faulty MRT train along Commonwealth Ave West

No trains will run between Jurong East and Buona Vista MRT stations on the East-West Line for the rest of Thursday (Sep 26), prolonging a service disruption that started on Wednesday morning.

Authorities hope to partially restore services on Friday, with a single-line train shuttle service that will operate between the two stations every 20 minutes. Full services are estimated to be resumed in "a few days", said the Land Transport Authority (LTA). "It is currently difficult to say exactly when, because of the extensive work and unpredictable weather," added LTA. "Even as we deploy more persons on site, the working space is limited. We also need to ensure the safety of our workers and commuters."

In a media release on Thursday, LTA and rail operator SMRT said engineers who worked through the night found "extensive damage" to the track and trackside equipment. This was caused by a faulty train as it was returning to Ulu Pandan depot.

related:

Commuters cope with rain, longer journeys on day 2 of East-West Line MRT disruption

As it happened: MRT East-West line disruption, Wednesday's rush hour situation orderly despite crowds

Faulty train caused 'extensive damage' to track between Clementi and Dover, leading to power trip and disruption

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Maintenance protocol breached during Sept 17 Circle Line disruption: SMRT

SMRT said that the disruption was first caused by a circuit breaker in the Traction Safety Shutdown System on the Circle Line that tripped

The power fault that prolonged the disruption of the entire Circle Line (CCL) service on Sept 17 was caused by a maintenance team that did not get clearance to replace a circuit breaker during service hours, said rail operator SMRT.

In a Facebook post on Sept 26, SMRT said that the disruption was first caused by a circuit breaker in the Traction Safety Shutdown System (TSSS) on the CCL that tripped. It took longer than normal to resume operations that evening because SMRT’s maintenance team triggered a power trip on a second circuit breaker in the system when it wanted to replace the main circuit breaker.

On Oct 14, 2020, the disruption of train services on the North-South, East-West and Circle lines for more than three hours was partly exacerbated by SMRT staff.

reated:

3-line MRT fault: A time-line of what happened on Oct 14

Water in tunnels, human error: Other major train service disruptions in S’pore’s history

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Train service resumes on Circle Line after power fault causes delay

At Bishan station, people were initially disallowed from going to the Circle Line platform, but the restriction was lifted after five minutes when the platform was not crowded

A power fault on the Circle Line (CCL) on Sept 17 caused delays of about 30 minutes during the evening peak-hour commute.

In an update, transport operator SMRT said on Facebook that there was a momentary power fault on the CCL at about 5.50pm on Sept 17 and there were no train services in both directions. The fault was resolved within 15 minutes, it said.

“Our engineers recovered power to the network and train services resumed. Our station staff have been deployed to assist commuters who have been affected by the delay,” SMRT said. SMRT advises commuters to take other lines and said that free regular bus services have been activated. “We are sorry to affect your evening commute,” it added.

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Regular train service on East-West Line resumes after delay due to track fault on morning of Jul 4

Staff explaining the track fault situation and offering passengers alternatives, at Boon Lay station

Regular train service has resumed on the East-West Line after a three-hour delay caused by a track fault at Jurong East station on the morning of July 4.

While train service was available during the period of delay, trains were running slower.

Regular train service resumed progressively from 7.48am, train operator SMRT said. The delay was the result of a faulty point machine, said SMRT in a Facebook post at 8.18am.

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Train service disrupted at six Downtown Line stations after maintenance locomotive catches fire

The tracks between Fort Canning station and Mattar station were closed from the start of service until 7.26am on May 24

Train service was disrupted along a stretch of six Downtown Line stations for more than an hour on the morning of May 24, after a locomotive carrying out maintenance works caught fire.

In a Facebook post, rail operator SBS Transit (SBST) said the tracks between Fort Canning and Mattar stations were closed from the start of service until 7.26am, when train service gradually resumed.

SBST activated bus bridging services between Chinatown and Bedok North stations during the disruption, and regular bus services along that stretch were made free for passengers.

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Power trip after lightning strike stalls MRT services on NSL for over 2 hours on June 3

SMRT said on Facebook at 7.17pm that no trains would be plying from Choa Chu Kang to Woodland

A traction power fault disrupted commutes along the northern stretch of the North-South MRT Line for more than two hours during peak traffic on June 3.

Transport operator SMRT said the fault, which occurred at about 5.50pm, meant that no trains could travel from Choa Chu Kang to Woodlands.

Preliminary investigations so far found that a lightning strike caused traction power to trip, and a small fire had broken out in a power control box next to the train track, about 20m from the platform of Kranji station.

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Fault on North-South MRT line that disrupted morning rush hour resolved after 5 hours

This is the 2nd disruption on the line during the morning peak hour in three days. On Monday, the NSL was hit by a track fault

A track point fault on the North-South Line (NSL) that triggered delays of up to 25 minutes on Wednesday morning during rush hour was resolved more than five hours after it was flagged.

This is the second disruption on the line during the morning peak hour in three days. On Monday, the NSL was hit by a track fault.

A track point fault – a glitch affecting a switch that allows trains to change tracks – occurred between Sembawang and Admiralty MRT stations at 6.45am, transport operator SMRT said on Facebook.

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North East Line (NEL) services affected by power fault

This morning, train services from NE17 Punggol to NE15 Buangkok stations in the direction towards HarbourFront were disrupted by a power fault. Train services between NE1 HarbourFront and NE14 Hougang stations were not affected.

A shuttle train service was put into operation from the start of passenger service at 5.36am and operated on one platform between NE17 Punggol and NE15 Buangkok stations. To supplement the shuttle train service, free regular and bridging bus services were available at designated bus stops along the affected stations to maintain connectivity.

Initial investigations into the incident revealed the cause to be a broken contact wire of the Overhead Catenary System (OCS) at the train launching track of Sengkang depot. The OCS supplies power to the trains. Repair works to the OCS were carried out after the morning peak hours. To facilitate this, power supply to the tracks was shut off between NE14 Hougang and NE17 Punggol stations, and free regular and bridging bus services were available between these stations.

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Number of major MRT breakdowns doubles even as overall rail reliability remains high

There were seven major breakdowns in 2022, which is the second-highest in the past five years

Serious MRT disruptions, each lasting over 30 minutes, more than doubled in 2022 from 2021 even as the frequency of total delays dipped.

According to rail reliability statistics just released by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the mean kilometres before failure (MKBF) – an engineering measure of reliability – rose from 1.994 million train-km in 2021 to 2.09 million train-km in 2022. That means there was one disruption of more than five minutes for every 2.09 million km clocked by Singapore’s MRT trains during the year, making the system one of the more dependable in the world.

The best-performing MRT line was the newish Downtown Line, operated by SBS Transit, while the worst-performing one was the North-South Line, operated by SMRT. But even the latter clocked more than 1.6 million train-km before a failure. The newest Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) operated by SMRT – which had suffered several delays since it opened three years ago – was not tallied. Separately, there were seven major breakdowns (defined as those lasting more than half an hour) in 2022 – more than double the three in 2021, and is the second-highest figure in the past five years.

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MRT Disruptions That Affected 3 Lines & 36 Stations

A power fault shut down train service on parts of the North-South and East-West MRT Lines at around 7pm on Wednesday (Oct 14), severely disrupting the evening rush-hour commute for many commuters. At 7.30pm, the fault disrupted service along a 16-station stretch of the Circle Line. Preliminary investigations indicate that a faulty power cable had caused the breakdown, which is one of the most serious power-related incidents to hit the MRT network in recent years. Here are some other serious breakdowns:

DEC 15 AND 17, 2011
JULY 7, 2015
APRIL 25, 2016
JUNE 28, 2017
JULY 12, 2017
AUG 17, 2017
SEPT 19, 2018
OCT 9, 2019

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No 'deep-seated cultural issues' at SMRT, says its new CEO Neo Kian Hong

To ensure staff perform, it takes good leadership as well as engagement with the ground, said SMRT's chief executive Neo Kian Hong. ST FOTO: MARK CHEONG

The "deep-seated cultural issues" of human error or failure characterised by his predecessor Desmond Kuek do not exist within the SMRT, said its new chief executive Neo Kian Hong on Fri (Nov 16), as he unveiled internal moves geared at improving rail reliability.

"Based on my experience, our people want to do well," said Mr Neo in response to a question from the media during a visit to the SMRT Kim Chuan Depot located off Paya Lebar Road.

"I do not agree with the term (deep-seated cultural issues), because that's not my experience when I engage with the ground."

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Neo contradicts his former boss Kuek saying there is no “deep-seated cultural issues” in SMRT

At a media briefing today (16 Nov), the new SMRT CEO LG (NS) Neo Kian Hong told reporters that the "deep-seated cultural issues" of human error or failure characterised by his predecessor Desmond Kuek do not exist within the SMRT.

"Based on my experience, our people want to do well," said Mr Neo, "I do not agree with the term (deep-seated cultural issues), because that's not my experience when I engage with the ground."

To ensure staff perform, it takes good leadership as well as engagement with the ground, he said. LG (NS) Neo took over from his predecessor LG (NS) Kuek only on 1 Aug. Somehow, in the course of 3.5 months as CEO, he could tell that there is no "deep-seated cultural issues" in SMRT, contradicting what LG (NS) Kuek had said.

Last year, with lapses occurring frequently in SMRT including the infamous tunnel flooding incident, LG (NS) Kuek 4 that the problems in SMRT was due to "deep-seated cultural issues" within the organization. "Indeed, many of our major disruptions in the past have been attributed in some part, or all, to human error or failure. We regret that this is so," LG (NS) Kuek said then.

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New SMRT CEO Neo Kian Hong contradicts predecessor Desmond Kuek

SMRT CEO Neo Kian Hong who was newly-appointed in August this year has gone to the state media to contradict his predecessor Desmond Kuek, blaming him for persistent train breakdowns.

The former army general told state media reporters that he did not find any “cultural issues” that led to the poor performance of SMRT:

“The ‘deep-seated cultural issues’ of human error or failure characterised by Desmond Kuek do not exist within the SMRT. Based on my experience, our people want to do well. I do not agree with the term (deep-seated cultural issues), because that’s not my experience when I engage with the ground.”

SMRT CEO Neo Kian Hong then claimed that Desmond Kuek’s poor leadership led to the persistent train breakdowns:

“To ensure staff perform, it takes good leadership as well as engagement with the ground…In some militaries, they use this term – there are no poor soldiers, there are only poor leaders. This is a team sport. The whole organisation is required.”

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‘Deep-seated cultural issues’ partly to blame for train disruptions: SMRT Group CEO

While rail operator SMRT has been focused on improving train infrastructure over the years, mistakes have been made & there are “deep-seated cultural issues” within the company that have contributed to the major disruptions since 2011.

SMRT’s president & group chief executive officer Desmond Kuek acknowledged this on Monday (Oct 16), in his first public comment following the massive flood-induced train disruption on the Oct 7 & 8 weekend.

Mr Kuek said: “Indeed many of our major disruptions in the past have been attributed in some part, or all, to human error or failure. We regret that this is so.

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SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek on 'deep-seated cultural issues' behind history of service disruptions

In a two-page statement, SMRT's president and group chief executive officer Desmond Kuek apologised to commuters for the Oct 7 20-hour service disruption on the North-South Line, one of the worst in the transport operator's history. He also acknowledged that "many of our major disruptions in the past have been attributed in some part, or all, to human error or failure". This is his statement in full:

On behalf of all of us in SMRT, I apologise to members of the public who were affected by last weekend’s disruption. We are all deeply pained by what happened.
Many have asked what SMRT has done since the Dec 2011 incidents. Please allow me to address these questions upfront. Since 2012, SMRT has gone into overdrive to address maintenance issues arising from age-related serviceability issues.
We beefed up and renewed the Trains team. Staff strength increased from 3,500 to 5,300 today, with nearly triple the number of Engineers to nearly 500 now. Our SMRT Institute was transformed to better meet the professional and vocational training requirements of the workforce that had been significantly expanded to meet the intensified demands. We also tied everyone’s performance incentives to a basket of measures, of which safety and reliability was given the greatest weight.

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Here’s a non-exhaustive list of the things new SMRT CEO Neo Kian Hong has done since taking the helm

The new CEO of SMRT Corporation, Neo Kian Hong, has been very busy ever since taking the helm of the transport operator in August this year. Speaking to reporters at a media briefing on Friday, November 16, Neo ran us through how he spent his first three months undergoing a “crash course” by visiting and talking to staff on the ground, because, he explains:

“There’s no point in describing [operations and maintenance issues] in an office. Might as well go down and see exactly what is going on on the ground.”

He went on to rebut previous SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek’s mention of “deep seated cultural issues” relating to human error and failure within SMRT:

“Our people want to do well. Personally I believe that. I do not agree with the term (deep-seated cultural issues) honestly, because that’s not my experience when I engage with the ground.”

And in another instance, he said:

“I looked at them in the eye and I know they’re committed and they’re proud to do the work.”

Throwing some not-so-subtle shade, Neo, a former Chief of Army and Defence Force, said:

“In the military setting…they will use this term: ‘There are no poor soldiers, there are only poor leaders’.”

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MRT reliability improves in first half of 2018

The rail system has continued to improve, according to first-half reliability data released by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) yesterday.

For the first 6 months of the year, the MRT network averaged 574,000km between delays - up from 555,000km in the first quarter - & 181,000km for the whole of last year. The star performer was the Circle Line, which averaged 1.2 million km between delays.

In terms of major delays - those lasting more than 30 minutes - the system showed a more dramatic improvement. There was only one such incident in the 2nd quarter, compared with three in the first quarter of this year.

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ROLLING STOCK TO LAUGHING STOCK

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”.

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HOW MANY SINGAPORE MRT BOSSES DOES IT TAKE TO FIX A BROKEN CULTURE?

Like the dreaded vote of confidence handed down to an embattled football club manager just before a sacking, Desmond Kuek, the under-fire chief executive of Singapore’s metro operator SMRT, received uncannily reassuring words from his boss this week.

“He wasn’t parachuted in or asked to go and fix this. He volunteered for this job,” transport minister Khaw Boon Wan said of Kuek, a retired three-star general, as he briefed parliament on Tuesday about the maintenance lapses that led to a large-scale breakdown on October 7.

The episode – one of the worst disruptions in the Singaporean metro network’s 30-year history – has brought into focus a crisis at SMRT as it struggles to put an end to repeated delays and breakdowns.

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Why Do Singaporeans Get So Upset About MRT Breakdowns?

Earlier in July, what could potentially be the worst MRT breakdown to date occurred. During the peak period where most Singaporeans needed the train the most, the North-South and East-West lines were down for hours.

During that period, I saw quite a few comments online about Singaporeans being spoilt to be so upset about a train breakdown. Others called us for being unreasonable and defended SMRT saying that train breakdowns are normal given that these two lines were the first major lines to be built and inefficiencies are inevitable.

Thus, I hope to provide my perspective as a local to share insights as to why Singaporean’s reactions were more than reasonable and why train disruptions are so incredibly frustrating and upsetting for Singaporeans:

Transport fares and SMRT’s CEO salary has risen greatly but what hasn’t increased is the efficiency and reliability of the MRT
Public transport is the only option for many Singaporeans
The government has not kept its end of the bargain
We’re always told that our infrastructure and facilities are ‘world class’

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People frustrated by incidents on public transport system

There are lessons to be learned from the recent problems on the MRT network & the causes need to be established so that things can be put right.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said this on Sun (Nov 19) at the People's Action Party's convention, which was held at Big Box in Jurong.

"We have made progress, but there have been setbacks," said Mr Lee, pointing to the train collision last week at Joo Koon station which left 36 people injured, & October's flooding in a tunnel from Bishan to Braddell MRT stations which resulted in the suspension of services for about 20 hours.

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Here Are All The Problems That Led To Train Breakdowns In Singapore

Singapore’s trains have come under intense scrutiny in ever since the Great Train Breakdown of 2011. The repeated breakdowns and disruptions, once evoking anger, are now met with resignation from Singaporeans.

But has anyone wondered what causes the breakdowns of these trains?

We at MustShareNews have. And we’ve compiled a list of the reasons behind each train breakdown starting from 2011.

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SMRT apologises for recent spate of rail disruptions, says incidents are unrelated

The recent spate of rail disruptions on SMRT's network over the past week were unrelated incidents, the transport operator said in a statement on Tuesday.

Apologising for the inconvenience caused to commuters, SMRT added that it is deeply concerned by the frequency of the delays & is working to improve the reliability & availability of its services.

In its statement, SMRT shared its investigation findings from the recent disruptions.

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Train commuter's 2 days of bad luck

This week cannot end fast enough for a train commuter after she endured three unfortunate events in 2 days.

The 29-yr-old Jurong resident, who wanted to be known only as Ms Anne, could not believe her bad luck when she was affected by a major disruption on the East-West Line (EWL) yesterday morning. The day before, she was also hit by a EWL delay caused by a platform screen door fault.

Both incidents occurred after her home was hit by a massive blackout that affected 19 areas across the island in the early hours of Tuesday.

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Commuters Left Frustrated as East-West Line Hit by Second Peak Hour Disruption in 2 Days

Commuters on the East-West Line this morning faced a 40-minute travelling time delay due to a track fault during the morning peak hour train rush.

The track fault occurred at 7am, and SMRT had to stop train services between Clementi and Jurong East MRT station so staff could go onto the track to check the fault. The fault was finally fixed 7 hours later, with normal train service resuming at about 2pm.

Today’s disruption comes after a 15-minute travelling time delay yesterday on the EWL due to a track door fault, which took SMRT an hour to rectify.

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Second Day Of Delays Hits East-West Line During Morning Rush Hour

Commuters using the East-West Line this morning were probably very, very angry. That’s because they faced a second straight day of delays today.

Today’s delays affected the stretch between Jurong East and Clementi but had a domino effect, basically affecting the entire line. SMRT blamed the delays on a track fault at Clementi. The fault occurred at about 7am between Clementi and Jurong East MRT stations.

But it took the operator more than an hour to update its Facebook page with news of the delay. This isn’t the first time that a train operator has kept quiet about a possible delay. SBS Transit did the same thing in May. It was chaos at Jurong East station as commuters tried to board trains that weren’t moving.

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Frequent MRT disruptions a concern: experts

Transport experts have raised concerns over the frequent delays caused by faults in the rail network, with 9 occurring this month alone.

National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der Horng noted that SMRT was in the midst of testing its new signalling system, which allows trains to run more frequently & without human interference, on the North-South Line.

It is also reconfiguring its power supply system from a decentralised source to a centralised one, he said, but added that the faults could have been caused by other factors such as human oversight.

related: Commuter's 2 days of bad luck

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7 hours of train service disruption; Traffic chaos along East West Line on Wednesday morning

A massive train disruption took place this morning along the East West Line (EWL) due to a track point fault at Clementi, which started at about 7am and ended around 1.50pm in the afternoon.

The disruption and confusion of free shuttle buses left passengers confused and angry, who then posted a barrage of posts and tweets on the social media platforms to voice their displease and to highlight the chaos ensued from the breakdown.

On TATA SMRT Facebook platform posts from commuters stuck at Queens Town and Jurong East have started since about 7am:

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Track point fault disrupted rush hour service on East-West Line; causes delays of up to 40 minutes

Commuters at Clementi MRT station at 7.35am, on Sep 19, 2018. They were affected by the 40-minute delay on the East-West Line that took place due to a track point fault near the station. ST FOTO: KELVIN CHNG

A fault in a track point disrupted rush hour service on the East-West line (EWL) on Wed morning (Sep 19), causing thousands of MRT commuters to face delays of up to 40 minutes.

It was the 2nd disruption on the line in 2 days. On Tuesday morning, the EWL was hit by a faulty platform screen door.

The track point fault - a glitch affecting a switch that allows trains to change tracks - occurred between the Jurong East and Clementi MRT stations.

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Track fault near Clementi causes rush hour delays on East-West Line

Commuters at Jurong East MRT station affected by delays due to a track fault at Clementi. (FOTO: Arul)

A track point fault near Clementi MRT station caused delays along the East-West Line during rush hour on Wed morning (Sep 19), prompting SMRT to advise commuters to take the North-South Line instead to get to the city.

The fault has since been rectified, more than 6 hours after SMRT first tweeted about the problem at 7.10am.

The transport operator explained in a Facebook post at about 8.40am that the track fault occurred between Clementi & Jurong East MRT stations, and that train services had to be stopped along that stretch to allow employees to go onto the track to check on the problem.

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East-West Line hit by delay due to track point fault at Clementi

Commuters on the East-West Line (EWL) faced a 40-minute delay during the peak hour on Wed morning (Sep 19) due to a track point fault at Clementi

Transport operator SMRT said in a tweet at 7.10am that the delay affected train services between Jurong East and Clementi. It initially said that commuters should add about 30 minutes of travelling time to their journey.

In a Facebook post at 8.45am, SMRT said that train services had to be stopped between Clementi & Jurong East MRT stations to allow staff members to go onto the track to check on the track fault, which occurred at about 7am.

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SMRT on Wednesday at 03:05

Update on East-West Line track fault on 19 September 2018

At about 7.00am this morning (19 Sep’18) a track point fault occurred on the East-West Line (EWL) between Jurong East and Clementi MRT stations.

After the fault was detected, train services between both stations were stopped for about 30 minutes to allow our staff to go onto the track to check a faulty point machine, which is used to control train movements at rail junctions when trains move from one track to another. Our staff inspected the point machine and assessed that train operations could continue but at a slower speed.

As a precaution, when train services resumed 30 mins later at about 7.40am, the trains travelled at a reduced speed when passing the track point.

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MRT Disruption Feed 18 September at 21:32

September 19, 2018 at 12:27PM

[EWL] UPDATE: Our engineers are still rectifying the fault, train services on the EWL are available. However, please add 30 mins train travel time between #BoonLay and #Queenstown. Free regular and bridging bus services are available between #BoonLay and #Queenstown.

http://twitter.com/SMRT_Singapore/status/1042268826853814273

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Major MRT faults remain at record high but overall distance-based reliability improves

The number of major MRT delays remained high last year (2017), even as the distance clocked by trains before faults occurred improved considerably.

There were 16 delays which were longer than half an hour each last year - 4 of which were related to a signalling upgrade - according to newly released data from the Land Transport Authority.

The number equalled 2016's record number of major delays, with the North-South, East-West lines accounting for the majority. There were 6 and 5 major disruptions on the North-South and East-West lines, respectively.

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List of Singapore MRT disruptions

For many years, Singapore's public transport system, especially its Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), has been recognized internationally for its efficiency and efficacy. However, since December 2011, frequent and severe disruptions to the MRT services have become a prominent national and international issue, the Singapore MRT quandary. The quandary has been marked by numerous incidents, issues and problems pertaining to the maintenance, quality and reliability of Singapore's MRT system.

The quandary began on 15 December 2011, when the North-South Line experienced its first major breakdown. The incident quickly became national headlines. Two days later, on 17 December 2011, the North-South Line experienced a second major breakdown. These two MRT disruption incidents affected a sizable part of the population and prompted the Singapore government to respond. Investigations of the two breakdowns by a government-formed Committee of Inquiry revealed shortcomings in SMRT's maintenance regime.

On 7 July 2015, a power fault regarding the third rail insulation of the MRT resulted in the disruption of the entire East-West Line and North-South Line. An investigation by the LTA found lapses in maintenance by SMRT.

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Silence from SMRT CEO appalling after all the faults in the past week

Last month, there was considerable flak from the public when another ex-military man – Mr. Neo Kian Hong - was appointed as the new CEO of rail transport operator SMRT. Not only did he not have any industry-related experience, the public remains unconvinced that there are no better candidates for the job.

To assure commuters, an SMRT Spokesman said that Mr. Neo had a "track record in operations and people management" and the "ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders”. Yet this week alone, there were two serious incidents which happened on SMRT lines.

On Thursday, a "platform screen door fault" happened on the North-South Line on Thursday causing inconvenience to commuters. On Saturday, a track fault on the Bukit Panjang LRT resulted in commuters having to have to walk on the tracks to the nearest station.

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SMRT: No More Than 1 Train Delay A Month By 2020

Talk about putting your money where your mouth is. At a press conference on Thursday (28 Mar), SMRT revealed grand plans for the coming financial year.

Titled “Outlook 2018: Better Journeys Ahead“, the session was filled with good news for commuters like us.

According to everyone’s favourite Army General-turned public transport company CEO Desmond Kuek, SMRT will face no more than one train delay a month by 2020. That’s nearly three times better than its current performance.

related: SMRT Hits Jackpot With All 3 MRT Lines Breaking Down In a Single Day

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11 Most Memorable MRT Incidents That Happened In 2017

It really hasn’t been the best year for SMRT, has it? From the infamous tunnel flooding to the train collision at Joo Koon, surely CEO Desmond Kuek – and more importantly, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan – is looking forward to starting off the New Year with a fresh, clean slate.

Whether 2018 proves to be a better year for them remains to be seen — that’s another article for another year.

Look Back At One Of SMRT’s Most Infamous Years Involving Disruptions: