LTA looking into root causes of MRT disruptions after three incidents in a week
LTA says the three disruptions are unrelated, adding that it takes a serious view of the recent delays.
An SMRT engineering vehicle broke down as it was returning to Bishan Depot after regular maintenance works on Feb 7, 2025 (left) and the transit area from North-South Line to Circle Line at Bishan station on Feb 11, 2025 (right). (Photos: Facebook/SMRT; CNA reader)
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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 commutes.
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.
SECOND INCIDENT ON NORTH EAST LINE
Commuters on Feb 10 were hit by a delay on the North East Line (NEL) due to a signalling fault at Buangkok MRT station, which occurred at 6.08am.
During the incident, SBS Transit provided free regular and bridging bus services between Punggol Coast and Dhoby Ghaut.
The disruption lasted for over an hour, with normal train services resuming progressively from 8am.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the incident was due to a fault in the signalling equipment, caused by a malfunctioning electronic card,” LTA said.
“SBS Transit replaced the malfunctioning electronic card on the same morning and restored the system’s operations. The malfunctioning component has been sent to Alstom, the system manufacturer, for further examination.”
SIGNALLING FAULT ON THE CIRCLE LINE
On Feb 11, at 8.15am, a signalling fault occurred between Paya Lebar and Marymount stations on the Circle Line.
LTA said this caused a power trip which affected 17 trains and caused delays for the morning commute.
Power was subsequently restored and train movement progressively resumed at 8.20am.
“When restoring operations, SMRT observed that the Central Automatic Train Supervision (CATS) System, which regulates the movement of driverless trains, was less responsive than usual,” LTA said on Thursday.
“This caused a delay to the resumption of normal operations.”
LTA said they last experienced this issue on the CATS system in September 2024.
LTA and SMRT have been working with Alstom, who is the system manufacturer, over the past few months to develop a software patch.
"The patch is scheduled to be deployed this weekend, following the completion of rigorous testing," said LTA.
