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LTA looking into root causes of MRT disruptions after three incidents in a week
SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is working closely with train operators SMRT and SBS Transit to identify the root causes of three MRT disruptions in less than a week - on the North-South Line (NSL), North East Line and Circle Line.
In a statement on Thursday (Feb 13), LTA said it takes a serious view of the incidents, adding that the three disruptions were unrelated.
The service disruptions occurred on Feb 7, Feb 10 and Feb 11, affecting peak-hour commute.
NORTH-SOUTH LINE: ENGINEERING VEHICLE BREAKDOWN AT BISHAN DEPOT
The Feb 7 incident on the North-South Line began at about 5.15am when an engineering vehicle broke down at a railway crossing in Bishan Depot after routine maintenance work.
This prevented trains from being launched into passenger service.
“When SMRT tried to move the stalled vehicle using a rescue train, some of the wheels of the engineering vehicle came off the rails,” LTA said on Thursday, detailing preliminary findings of investigations.
SMRT redirected some trains from the East-West Line to the NSL to ensure that the NSL could start operations.
This allowed train services to operate throughout the day on both lines, with a longer interval between trains during peak hours, LTA noted.
Commuters that morning were advised to add up to 10 minutes of train travel time between Ang Mo Kio and Jurong East stations towards Jurong East.
To augment train capacity during the morning peak, SMRT provided free regular and bridging bus services along the stretch between Woodlands and Bishan.
The disruption lasted until the evening. The stalled engineering vehicle was cleared by 5.30pm, allowing SMRT to launch trains from Bishan Depot and progressively restore normal service for the evening peak.
“LTA and SMRT are conducting a thorough investigation into the root cause of this incident,” the authority said.
It also reiterated that the incident is “completely different” from the EWL disruption in September last year when an empty train derailed while it was returning to the depot.
The September East-West Line disruption went on for six days, affecting around half a million passengers each day.
A defective train component dropped onto the tracks, which resulted in extensive damage to the tracks and other equipment. It affected service between nine stations from Boon Lay to Queenstown.
More at https://urlr.me/Cqych4
