East-West Line disruption: LTA to impose penalties if shortcomings are found

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority will mete out penalties if the investigations into the major East-West Line disruptions in September reveal lapses. 

Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat said this in parliament on Tuesday (Oct 15) in a ministerial statement on the six-day disruption, which affected around half a million passengers each day.

Responding to a barrage of questions filed by Members of Parliament, Mr Chee also said that while the incident involved an older first-generation train, the reliability of a train “depends on several factors”, not just its age.

Disruptions started on Sep 25 when a defective component known as an axle box dropped onto the tracks, causing a bogie - or an undercarriage with wheels - to come off the running rail between Dover and Clementi stations.

This resulted in extensive damage to the tracks and other equipment stretching 2.55km, disrupting MRT services between nine stations from Boon Lay to Queenstown.

BUS SERVICES REDEPLOYED 

Recounting the remedial measures on day one of the incident, Mr Chee said that bridging bus services were activated to connect commuters between Queenstown and Boon Lay, while shuttle train services operated between Queenstown and Buona Vista stations, and between Boon Lay and Jurong East stations.

However, when heavier crowds were observed at Buona Vista station, transport operator SMRT adjusted bridging bus operations to focus on the critical stretch between Buona Vista and Jurong East station, where neither train nor shuttle services ran.

Responding to questions from MP Don Wee (PAP-Choa Chu Kang) and Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai (PSP) on whether other bus services were affected, Mr Chee said that some buses and drivers on lower-demand services had been redeployed. 

“Bus operators determined these redeployments based on ridership and frequencies of their other services, in order to maintain service standards and minimise inconvenience to commuters,” said Mr Chee. 

INSPECTION OF INFRASTRUCTURE STEPPED UP

Repair works for the affected stretch were completed on Sep 28, and stress and loading tests were then carried out that evening to ensure the tracks were functioning safely before resumption of train services.

However, 12 new cracks, previously not visible to the naked eye, were detected on 10 unreplaced segments of running rail after these tests.

“If I may use Chinese Kungfu analogy, it is like sustaining internal injuries that are not immediately visible from the outside, and showing symptoms a while later,” said Mr Chee.

The rail segments with these new cracks needed to be replaced before service could safely resume, which meant that an additional day of work was required. 

Authorities had initially said they were working towards full restoration of services on Sep 30, but because of the cracks, the target date was moved to Oct 1.

Nominated MP Syed Harun asked about the possibility of further rail fractures. Mr Chee's reply was that a comprehensive series of tests, including endurance tests, had been carried out before train services resumed. 

After the resumption of service, SMRT has also stepped up its checks as a precautionary measure, he added. 

This is on top of the regular inspection regime in place for other rail segments, including for other MRT lines operated by SMRT and SBS Transit.

INVESTIGATIONS UNDERWAY 

Mr Chee said that while the cause of the track damage was due to the incident with the train, the “root cause” of why the axle box dropped, as well as learning points to prevent future incidents, are being investigated. 

A probe into the disruption is expected to be completed within a few months, LTA said earlier this month, adding that it would make the findings public. 

As to whether the government would convene a Committee of Inquiry for this incident - something Mr Leong asked - Mr Chee said that LTA has the necessary regulatory powers and technical knowledge to investigate serious rail incidents.

LTA will also be supported by an expert advisory panel, chaired by a former Head of Train Systems for the London Underground, and comprising five other local and overseas experts, said Mr Chee.

At the same time, the Ministry of Transport’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) will also conduct an independent safety investigation.

Mr Chee said that LTA will mete out penalties if the investigation reveals lapses. 

AGE NOT THE ONLY FACTOR

MPs Gerald Giam (WP-Aljunied) and Dennis Tan (WP-Hougang) also raised questions on whether the older first-generation MRT trains posed a higher safety risk to commuters, and whether a review would be conducted on the maintenance regime of such trains. 

Mr Chee said that the structural integrity of these first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) trains was assessed by an independent assessor in 2012, who concluded that the trains have a total service life of 38 years.

The plan is to replace all 48 remaining KHI trains with the new R151 trains by end-2026, before they reach their 38-year service mark, said Mr Chee. 

He added that the reliability of a train depends not only on its age but also several other factors.

“Trains that remain reliable can continue to be used, if they have not exceeded their service life,” he said. 

Responding to a subsequent question by Mr Giam on why older trains were not replaced earlier, Mr Chee said that there were delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"Can we speed up on the new trains to try and catch up on the delays due to COVID earlier? This is something that we will do our best, but ... we need to do so without compromising safety," he said. 

He added that the new trains would need to be tested thoroughly before being put into service. 

MP Saktiandi Supaat (PAP-Bishan-Toa Payoh) also highlighted comments on social media from a 2023 article in which SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming said that the transport operator did not want over-maintenance, and asked for Mr Chee's thoughts on it. 

Mr Chee said that Mr Seah had clarified with LTA that SMRT did not reduce its spending on maintenance over the past few years. 

"His main point was about striking a balance between achieving high reliability standards and incurring high maintenance costs to achieve what he described as optimal maintenance," said Mr Chee. 

Mr Chee added that Mr Seah's quotes had been taken out of context, and that he had also been quoted last year saying that he would never want to under-maintain because he wanted to avoid the reliability issues of the past. 

Mr Chee also paid tribute to the hundreds of public transport workers, volunteers, and rail workers for their efforts during the incident, as well as to commuters for their patience. 

"In the midst of this difficult period, it was heartening to see many Singaporeans stepping forward to encourage our workers and support one another," he said.

"Just as Singaporeans rallied together during previous challenges, once again, as a community and a society, we came together to overcome this challenge.