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LTA orders system-wide checks after loose door causes train delays

SINGAPORE — A “loosened service maintenance door” caused power faults and widespread delays on the rail network on Tuesday (July 25), as SMRT briefly shut services between Queenstown and Bugis stations for urgent repairs. The disruption led the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to direct the operator to carry out system-wide checks.

Commuters travelling to work on the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL) experienced delays due to an intermittent power fault and track circuit fault. Photo: Najeer Yusof/TODAY

Commuters travelling to work on the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL) experienced delays due to an intermittent power fault and track circuit fault. Photo: Najeer Yusof/TODAY

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SINGAPORE — A “loosened service maintenance door” caused power faults and widespread delays on the rail network on Tuesday  (July 25), as SMRT briefly shut services between Queenstown and Bugis stations for urgent repairs. The disruption led the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to direct the operator to carry out system-wide checks.

The 11.30am shutdown in services, lasting 30 minutes, came hours after the power faults and a separate track circuit problem snarled the rush-hour morning commute on the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL).

In a statement, the LTA said the cause of the “intermittent traction power tripping” on the NSEWL “was traced to a loosened service maintenance door next to the tracks in the tunnel near Tiong Bahru MRT Station along the East-West Line”. The faulty door has since been removed. The SMRT had earlier referred to a “loose panel” as the cause of the power faults.

The LTA said: “Train services between Queenstown and Bugis stations had to be halted temporarily as traction power had to be switched off to enable engineers to access the tracks and remove the door safely. Normal train services progressively resumed following the removal of the door.”

 

As a precautionary measure, the LTA said it had asked SMRT to do a system-wide check on all the service maintenance doors. 

“We are investigating the cause of the loosened door to prevent it from recurring. This incident is not related to the on-going tests of the new signalling system on the North-South Line,” it added.

SMRT first posted on its Twitter account about the train delays at 7.26am, saying that an “intermittent power fault” was causing trains on both lines to run at longer intervals. It also warned that stations would be more crowded than usual.

About four hours later, the train operator said it had to shut services between Queenstown and Bugis stations to remove a “loose panel” that was causing power trips on the rail network.

At noon, SMRT announced that train services between the stations two were “progressively returning to normal.” At about 2pm, it said services on the East-West Line were back to normal. 

 

Earlier on Tuesday, commuters travelling to work faced delays caused by an intermittent power fault on the NSEWL, as well as a track circuit fault at the Commonwealth station.

The track circuit fault was resolved about two hours after it was first reported at 8.51am.

A separate track circuit fault at Commonwealth station caused additional delays for commuters on the East-West Line. The fault was resolved about two hours after it was first reported at 8.51am.

Commuters were upset by the latest train delays, with a recruitment consultant, who wanted to be known only as Ms Lu, saying: “The first thing that came to my mind was ‘again? at rush hour?’” 

“I have always thought that we have world-class train service in terms of cleanliness and efficiency, but this time round, I think SMRT is taking too long to rectify the matter,” said the 35-year-old, who had waited more than 15 minutes before the train arrived at Braddell MRT Station at about 8.47am.

 

(Long queues forming at Jurong East MRT early on Tuesday morning. Photo: Twitter/Loke @Loke_9999)

Although the train service suspension disrupted his lunch plans, Mr Lee Zong Heung, 23, a student at Singapore Management University, felt that SMRT had “tried their best to rectify their faults”, as free bus services were available at the affected stations. 

A power fault last occurred on July 12, causing blackouts at several stations and halted train services on the NSEWL. SMRT said later the fault was traced back to the Tuas Depot intake station, which supplies power to several train stations.

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