Fault causes platform screen doors at Braddell MRT Station to stay open as trains moved in and out

SINGAPORE — Platform screen doors at Braddell MRT Station malfunctioned for one-and-a-half hours on Wednesday (March 3) evening, but it did not stop trains from running as per normal.

The fault, which began at 5.10pm, required train operator SMRT to keep the platform doors on the North-South Line towards Marina South Pier open manually.

Commuter Antoinette Sophia Thomas, 59, said that when she arrived at the underground station, train services were still running even though all screen doors on one side of the platform were left open.

“When I saw so many staff (members) standing around, I was puzzled until I saw the black empty space where the door was (supposed to be),” the financial analyst told TODAY.

Police officers from the Public Transport Security Command were present and SMRT staff holding light wands stood near the doors to guide commuters onto the trains, she said.

But the incident did not make her feel unsafe, she added. “I just took it as though it was one of those stations that had no doors.”

TODAY understands that trains entering and leaving the station had to move at a slower speed because of the platform door malfunction.

By 6.45pm, when Ms Thomas’ daughter, Ms Cordelia Lee, was at the station, the fault appeared to have been fixed.

“Police officers and staff were still guarding the doors and there was an automated announcement telling people to stand clear and not go too near the doors,” the 25-year-old experience design analyst said.

When TODAY arrived at the station at 7.15pm, all the platform doors were working normally except for a screen door at the end of the platform that remained closed. The door was cordoned off with a notice on it that says the door was faulty.

SMRT did not make a general public announcement about the incident, nor did it report any delays.

TODAY has reached out to SMRT to ask why train services continued running despite the platform screen doors being spoilt.

In July 2019, eastbound trains on the East-West Line skipped Dover station because of a faulty platform screen door.

In May 2018, a platform screen door fault at Dhoby Ghaut station — also on the North-South Line — caused 45-minute delays during the evening peak hour as trains had to move slower at the station for the safety of commuters.