No train service on Bukit Panjang LRT due to train fault: SMRT
SINGAPORE - There were no train services on the Bukit Panjang LRT on Saturday (Sept 9) morning due to a train fault, SMRT said.
The transport operator announced this in a tweet at 11.12am, adding later that there were no services on both Service A and B.
Commuters had been reporting no service from as early as 10am.
Twitter user Kimmy said at 10.01 am that the Bukit Panjang LRT was not working.
"Do not board," he wrote. "I wasted 77 cents going in and coming out of (the) same station just now."
A commuter, who declined to be named, told The Straits Times that he was at Senja station at around 9.35am.
"I was waiting for the train and around 9.45am, they started announcing that there was a train fault due to power failure. We were advised to go for alternative transport," he said.
He said he waited for a bus instead and managed to reach Fajar around 10.30am, by which time train services were still unavailable.
SMRT said in a tweet at 11.18am that free bridging buses were available.
-- ST
Originally posted by QX179R:No train service on Bukit Panjang LRT due to train fault: SMRT
SINGAPORE - There were no train services on the Bukit Panjang LRT on Saturday (Sept 9) morning due to a train fault, SMRT said.
The transport operator announced this in a tweet at 11.12am, adding later that there were no services on both Service A and B.
Commuters had been reporting no service from as early as 10am.
Twitter user Kimmy said at 10.01 am that the Bukit Panjang LRT was not working.
"Do not board," he wrote. "I wasted 77 cents going in and coming out of (the) same station just now."
A commuter, who declined to be named, told The Straits Times that he was at Senja station at around 9.35am.
"I was waiting for the train and around 9.45am, they started announcing that there was a train fault due to power failure. We were advised to go for alternative transport," he said.
He said he waited for a bus instead and managed to reach Fajar around 10.30am, by which time train services were still unavailable.
SMRT said in a tweet at 11.18am that free bridging buses were available.
-- ST
Five-hour disruption on Bukit Panjang LRT line due to broken rail support brackets
SINGAPORE: Train services along the entire Bukit Panjang LRT line were unavailable for about five hours on Saturday (Sep 9), after two trains stalled between Phoenix and Bukit Panjang stations.
Transport operator SMRT first announced the disruption on Twitter at 11.12am. It was not until 4.25pm that it tweeted that normal service has resumed.
Free bus bridging services were made available, said SMRT.
According to SMRT, an LRT train had stalled between Phoenix and Bukit Panjang stations at 9.45am. The train was towed back to the depot but after service resumed, a second train stalled at the same location.
"As this second train could not continue service, around 10 passengers were guided by staff safely to the nearest station," SMRT said.
In its latest update, SMRT explained that the disruption was due to two broken rail support brackets "which affected the signal and ground rail between the two stations".
"Engineers were deployed immediately to carry out rectification works which included the replacement of the rail support brackets, and signal and ground rail.
"Concurrently, network-wide checks were carried out on all trains and tracks to ensure that the system was safe for operations, before full service resumed at 4.18pm," said SMRT.
It apologised to commuters for the inconvenience caused, and said further investigations will be carried out to determine why the two rail support brackets failed.
Source: CNA/dl
Monday blues for commuters who were delayed by train fault on Circle Line http://bit.ly/2xYRo31
Faulty train with emergency brakes applied disrupts Circle Line service for over an hour http://str.sg/4VXw
12/09 6.02pm: NEL svc is delayed due to a train fault at Boon Keng NE9. Additional travel time of abt 10 mins may be expected.
Emergency brakes applied for an unknown reason rendered a Circle Line train inoperable near Marymount station during the morning peak period yesterday.
The Straits Times understands that the faulty train had to be pushed out of the way by another train.
The episode - just two days after a track fault disrupted service on the Bukit Panjang LRT for some six hours last Saturday morning - affected thousands of commuters on their way to work and school.
According to the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board, a number of N-level exams were held yesterday morning.
Circle Line operator SMRT first tweeted about the fault at 9.25am, warning of journeys taking 15 minutes longer. Later, it revised this to 30 minutes.
But National University of Singapore student J.R. Tan's journey from Bartley station to NUS took nearly an hour longer.
After getting stuck in a train that was crawling and stopping, the second-year student got off at Botanic Gardens station and took a bus.
The 22-year-old said she missed two-thirds of a lecture.
"When the train stalled at Caldecott, they announced that it was going to be a five-minute delay. Then 30 minutes later, they said it was going to be a 30-minute delay.
"If they had said 30 minutes from the start, I would have got off and taken the bus, and maybe made it in time for my lecture."
Engineer Bismarck Chang was more fortunate.
The 39-year-old was on his way from his Bedok home to work in Ang Mo Kio when the incident happened. He managed to get out at Tai Seng station and hailed a cab.
Across the network, crowds packed station platforms. Past 10am, SMRT tweeted to say service was recovering gradually.
As of 5pm yesterday, SMRT was unable to say what triggered the emergency braking.
A fault on the new signling system along the North-South Line caused fresh delays on Friday (Sept 15) evening.
Transport operator SMRT put out a tweet at 9.06pm, advising those commuting between the Marina South Pier and Toa Payoh stations to be prepared for delays of about 20 minutes. As of 9.43pm, the train services are progressively being restored.
Some commuters had also claimed that they had been prevented from entering the platforms at Orchard station.
The SMRT also tweeted that there will be free bus services between the two affected stations.
This is the second time this week that commuters have been hit with a train breakdown.
Earlier this week, commuters travelling on the Circle Line experienced train delays of up to 30 minutes during morning rush hour.
Crowds experience delays at Tampines and Pasir Ris MRT stations due to train fault http://bit.ly/2feZQXd
Commuters hit by train failures have united on a Facebook group formed specially for their time of distress.
But this support group, which calls itself a "safety net against MRT train breakdown", is not a place for ranting about train services.
The group, called TATA SMRT (The Alternate Transport Advisory & Spore Magnificent Rescue Team), aims to help commuters make alternative plans during train disruptions with "real time" details of the situation crowdsourced from members of the group.
Members are also encouraged to ask questions, provide suggestions of alternative routes or even carpool in the case of a disruption.
The one-month-old group saw a surge in new members after a delay on the East-West Line last Tuesday morning, which saw large crowds of commuters stuck at train stations in Tampines and Bedok.
On Tuesday, announcements were made at train stations on the East-West Line indicating a 10-minute delay, but this information was not broadcasted on SMRT's social media feeds or the Land Transport Authority's My Transport app.
More than 680 people joined the group over the past week, which now has more than 960 members.
Over the past few days, members have posted photos of crowds at MRT stations as well as possible delays.
Mr Jason Cai, 35, an IT engineer who founded the Facebook group, said there could be possible false alarms, but he thinks that inaccurate information will be corrected by the community.
He also encourages members of the group to be positive instead of "letting their emotions get the better of them".
One of the group's most active members is tax senior Paul Lee, 38, who regularly replies to posts about public bus options.
Besides TATA, there are at least two online crowdsourcing efforts to deal with train disruptions.
Another Facebook group, MRT Disruption Feed, has more than 8,500 members and collates tweets that mention train disruptions.
Website www.mrtok.com - created by web developer Samuel Liew, 30, in July - collates real-time updates from official sources and social media.
To ensure that the "unofficial" updates are accurate, Mr Liew has been modifying the search query and filter algorithms to select posts that are train delay reports instead of general complaints.
He is also planning to add a profanity filter and blacklist certain social media accounts from displaying on the website.
The Australia-based Singaporean added: "I created mrtok in July when there was a lot of train delays and thought that it would be nice to have timely updates.
"As I am overseas, I wasn't able to know if the MRT was delayed. Therefore I built this site to get updates because I have the expertise to do so... and to allow my friends and family back in Singapore to be notified of train delays."
No student late for PSLE exams, so far, despite early morning train delay on EWL http://bit.ly/2xyB3oo
01:45pm: NEL delay - To assist with your journey, free bus rides are available at NE17 Punggol to NE15 Buangkok designated bus stops near NEL stations. Please approach staff if you need help.
Delays on North-East Line due to train fault: SBS Transit http://str.sg/49H4
02:05pm: NEL service towards HarbourFront NE1 is delayed due to a train fault. Additional travel time of about 20 minutes may be expected. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused.
North-South Line service affected due to water in tunnel; engineers are investigating: SMRT
SINGAPORE - A section of MRT tunnels between Bishan and Braddell stations were flooded after torrential rain Saturday (Oct 7), rendering a large stretch of the North-South Line inoperable, said SMRT.
The flood waters got into the tunnels despite flood prevention measures having been improved recently, The Straits Times understands.
In a tweet at 5.36pm, train operator SMRT said there was no train service between Bishan and Toa Payoh stations towards Marina South Pier "due to a track fault".
At 6.05pm, it updated that train services were not available between Ang Mo Kio and Marina South Pier.
Bus bridging services were activated.
Separately, a fire was spotted in a tunnel between Marina Bay and Raffles Place stations. It has since been put out. It is not linked to the flood, although electrical short circuits caused by water had sparked tunnel fires before.
SMRT said the "small fire" was spotted by a train captain at 5.55pm. The Singapore Civil Defence Force was alerted and deployed assets to Marina Bay station.
"However, the fire had died out by itself," said SMRT in its Facebook post.
ST has contacted the Singapore Civil Defence Force for more information.
Engineers are on site and investigating both incidents, said SMRT in a statement on Facebook at around 7.30pm.
MRT tunnels are equipped with pumps which will kick in when tunnels are flooded. It is not known why they could not cope with the flood.
Marketing manager P. Pang, 45, told The Straits Times that he boarded the train at Yio Chu Kang MRT at 5.37pm.
“The train was stuck at the station for quite a while. When I checked SMRT twitter and realised there was a track fault, I got off at Ang Mo Kio. But people were still boarding the train, as there was no instructions asking them not to,” he said.
The North-East line too was hit by a train fault on Saturday.
In a tweet at 12.39pm, train operator SBS Transit said service towards Punggol station was delayed due to a train fault at Sengkang station. Train service resumed about 20 minutes later.
The NSL train service disruption came as the National Environment Agency issued warnings of heavy rain with gusty winds over many parts of Singapore on Saturday.
-- ST
A forum contributor has written to The Straits Times to give his two cents' worth about the issues plaguing the train system in Singapore.
The contributor, Patrick Tan Siong Kuan, felt that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT should take the blame for the disruptions that commuters have been experiencing.
He wrote:
"It is strange to read the excuses that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been giving for the shutdowns of our train system.
"First, it was the signalling system's fault. Then, it was the track's fault.
"With Saturday's flooding of the tunnel, resulting in a major shutdown of the North-South Line, it was the rain and water-pumping system's fault.
"The LTA and SMRT almost never admit that they could have been at fault. It seems that no one in the managements of LTA and SMRT have been held accountable for all these persistent problems.
"When the SMRT management team was first appointed, I was full of hope and support for them.
"Surely, if there was anyone who could do the job, a group of army generals with experience in running a most efficient fighting force should be able to do it. But I have been sorely disappointed and disillusioned.
"With the privatisation of SMRT, the management is no longer subject to public scrutiny. Operating under a shroud of secrecy, the management continues to be rewarded despite the sufferings of commuters.
"Patrick Tan Siong Kuan"
Maintenance shortfalls behind water pump failure that caused massive #SMRT #NSL disruption: Report http://bit.ly/2gwtyUX
SMRT has replaced a senior executive in charge of maintenance and systems after last Saturday's flooding of a tunnel on the North-South Line (NSL).
The rail operator told its staff in an internal circular yesterday that Mr Siu Yow Wee has been appointed director of building and services, taking over from Mr Ng Tek Poo, vice-president of maintenance.
Mr Siu will manage the entire building and services division and report to the senior vice-president of maintenance and engineering, the circular said.
The Straits Times understands that Mr Ng has been redeployed to another role.
In the incident, which rendered a large stretch of the NSL inoperable for about 20 hours, rain water entered the tunnel at Bishan where the tracks go underground.
Pumps installed to remove water from the tunnels in such situations did not kick in because a float switch was apparently stuck. The underground tracks were submerged in water at waist level at its deepest.
At least one train was stranded in the tunnel. Fortunately, passengers managed to disembark at Bishan before the train stalled.
On the same day, a fire broke out in the tunnel between Marina Bay and Raffles Place stations. Although the cause has not been ascertained, past tunnel fires have been traced to short circuits caused by water.
Asked to comment, SMRT vice-president for corporate communications Patrick Nathan said: "We do not comment on staff matters. We are strengthening our building and facilities team in the light of last weekend's disruption."
Mr Ng was a key witness at a public inquiry following two major rail disruptions in December 2011.
The inquiry concluded that shortcomings in maintenance were a major contributing factor in the breakdowns.
Commenting on SMRT's move to replace Mr Ng, Mr Harish Pillay, a fellow of the Institution of Engineers Singapore, said: "We are not hearing any voice from the top on this (flooding) issue. I am not saying the head has to come out all the time to say something, but this situation calls for it."
Confusion, hiccups for commuters during Downtown Line open house http://bit.ly/2yqkU4c
Software fault on East-West Line signalling system caused rush hour delays: SMRT
SINGAPORE: 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.
"As such, commuters may have encountered delays to their journey this morning," said Mr Nathan.
Announcements were made in stations and on trains to inform commuters of the fault and to advise them to add an additional train travel time of 10 minutes, he added.
Normal services resumed at 9am, said Mr Nathan.
"We apologise for the inconvenience caused to affected commuters on their peak hour commute."
Commuters took to social media to voice their frustrations, with many posting photos of crowded platforms from Pasir Ris MRT station to Bedok.
Members of the public complained of delays with some saying they had been stuck on the train for 20 to 30 minutes.
"What are you doing about this? This is beginning to be the norm," commuter Vanan Rajaindern wrote in a Facebook post directed at SMRT. "Unacceptable."
Source: CNA/nc
Slower service on North-South Line to last till end of Wednesday http://str.sg/4F3p
Train services between AMK and Bishan resume after track fault
SINGAPORE: Train services between Ang Mo Kio and Bishan MRT stations along the North-South Line have resumed following a track fault on Friday (Oct 27) morning.
In the latest tweet at 7.07am, SMRT said that free regular bus services have ended.
In an earlier tweet at 5.56am, SMRT had advised commuters travelling from Ang Mo Kio to Bishan MRT stations towards Marina South Pier to add an extra 20 minutes of travel time due to the track fault.
This is the second time in a week that a track fault had occurred, also resulting in slower train service between Ang Mo Kio and Bishan MRT stations along the North South Line on Wednesday.
Source: CNA/de
SMRT staff in charge of pump system that failed suspected to have falsified records http://str.sg/4FRP
Disruptions, flooding, fake work records: How systemic are SMRT's cultural issues? http://str.sg/4tSp
No Committee of Inquiry into MRT tunnel flooding as cause of incident ‘clear’: Khaw http://tdy.sg/2Aqo1aT
scared of what?
Train operating hours on the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL) will likely be shortened - including on weekdays - to give rail engineers more time to replace and upgrade the lines' ageing assets.
This was suggested by Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 7), as he delivered a ministerial statement to address recent lapses in SMRT's maintenance regime.
Mr Khaw said this will "squeeze out more engineering hours" and help the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT "speed up" projects to renew core components on the 30-year-old NSEWL.
The upgrading has approximately reached its half-way point and will last until 2024, Mr Khaw added.
"Until all these key ageing system are replaced or renewed, the NSEWL remain at risk of major disruptions, even with diligent maintenance," he added.
Drawing an analogy between his heart operation eight years ago and the upgrading of the ageing rail assets, Mr Khaw said his cardiologist had advised him eight years ago that if he did not bite the bullet and fix his heart problem with a bypass, he was at risk of falling dead.
SMRT had previously ended train services earlier at selected stations on the NSEWL, over stretches in 2014 and 2015, to facilitate the replacement of worn-out sleepers. Sleepers help to hold the tracks in place.
Mr Khaw said he has asked LTA to work with SMRT to see how engineering hours - which are typically just three hours long - can be extended.
"Line closures will of course inconvenience commuters. I seek commuters' understanding and patience should we decide to do so. We are likely to do so," Mr Khaw said.