Updated: 01/29/2014 21:09 | By Channel NewsAsia
SMRT concludes investigations on three incidents in January
SINGAPORE: Rail operator SMRT has concluded its investigations on the three incidents on its rail network in January.
This comes after Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew expressed his concern and disappointment over the train delays and asked SMRT to provide an update on its investigations.
Of the three incidents, two were caused by lapses by train staff who have since been disciplined.
The first one, on January 11 that lasted for about one and a half hours, had passengers getting off the train to walk along elevated tracks at about 12.30pm.
The power supply between Yew Tee and Kranji stations was disrupted due to a damaged cable and has since been repaired.
SMRT said it is putting in place a condition monitoring system that will enhance its preventive and predictive maintenance regimes.
The second incident occurred on January 20 when a train stalled between Yio Chu Kang and Ang Mo Kio stations.
It happened at about 8am and sparked an uproar among many commuters as it was during the morning peak hours.
Two circuit breakers were not closed after a routine nightly servicing on the train due to a lapse by one of the technicians.
This caused the battery in the train to be drained out. The battery provides power to the signalling system, and when it dropped below a certain level, a safety mechanism was automatically triggered to prevent the train from moving further.
SMRT has reviewed its risk assessment procedures and put in place a higher level of supervision.
The third incident took place on January 22 at about 10pm between Expo and Tanah Merah stations.
This was caused by a train captain's failure to observe a signal light on the track.
As a result, the train service had to be suspended for safety reasons.
SMRT added that it is committed to delivering reliable train services, and will continuously improve its staff training, preventive maintenance and service delivery.
- CNA/gn
