GMS provides some comments.
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Critical Infrastructure Maintenance & Retainment of Core Expertise
For the past 5 days, we have witnessed how our critical infrastructure fell apart and how incompetent and inadequate SMRT was in dealing with such incident.
SMRT and LTA tried to excuse themselves from such inadequacy by providing the "unfortunate" narrative that this was some "very rare" incident. Their spin doctors tried very hard to soften the anger among the public with the help of the main stream media.
A 35 year old train with its axles dropping off is rare because no proper maintenance and inspection was carried out prior to the incident. We don't believe things just happen out of the sudden.
This is the first sign of under investment in maintenance.
We definitely expect SMRT sending lots of its core maintenance team to rush in to save the day. However from the first batch of photographs posted on official social media, it is apparent that cheap and unskilled or semi skilled foreign workers were deployed in great numbers without a clear idea on what to do on the track, just waiting for instructions.
To put salt onto injury, more cracks were found after work was done and they have to delay for another day to patch it up.
It makes me wonder whether they have used any appropriate tools to carry out the initial inspection of the track.
From all these observations, not withstanding the record breaking of 6 days disruptions, it seems that there are more serious underlying problems with the top management.
Those unskilled or semi skilled workers are most probably from contractors or subcontractors.
Out sourcing is a common practice in modern commercial settings. However, I would say that for rail maintenance, especially for specific track replacement, there are only 2 MRT operators and SMRT is the larger operator.
When there is a monopolistic structure which involve in maintaining a Critical Infrastructure like MRT, it is important to build a competent inhouse maintenance team to train and retain the niche and special skills involved in managing train system.
Not only do we need the huge number of workers on the track during such crisis, but all these workers must be skilled, trained and proficient in track maintenance.
Else, productivity will be greatly compromised and disruption will inevitably be longer than necessary.
I am also skeptical that SMRT has adequate effective and efficient tools for inspection of the tracks during such crisis. Cracks don't just appear suddenly and most of the time, they start with very fine hairline cracks which are very difficult to detect by human eyes.
There are modern advanced devices specially designed for such purpose. It seems that inspite of all those boasting about high tech investment, such important basic tools are lacking.
It is important for MRT to be run by a team of people who understand, this is critical Infrastructure and maintaining a team with adequate number of professionals who are highly proficient in maintaining the train system is of utmost importance without compromise. Our whole economy depends on it
SMRT should cut down its reliance on contractors and subcontractors when it comes to maintenance of mission critical assets while building up its own core maintenance team.
On top of that, SMRT may have to form a crisis quick response team of engineers to manage such breakdowns and disruptions.
Grooming and retaining technical expertise in maintenance are fundamental to a reliable subway.
6 days of disruption is really unacceptable and unprecedented in Singapore's history. Singaporeans won't want to experience it again.
