A lightning has struck an MRT train on the East-West Line about 4pm on Monday, causing some delay in journey time between Tanah Merah and Paya Lebar stations.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has dispatched an ambulance to Tanah Merah station and shared that a man in his 20s was sent to Changi General Hospital in a conscious state.
An incident on 11 May 2016 saw an SMRT train on the North-South Line being also struck by lightning, disrupting southbound services from Yishun to Yio Chu Kang stations.
A day following the incident, SMRT published a blog “Train vs Lightning”. SMRT wrote that the metallic exterior of its trains is fitted with a Faraday Cage that protects everyone inside from electric currents. Even if the passenger were to be holding onto the grab pole, the passenger will still be safe as grab poles are attached securely to the train’s interior and are not connected to the external frame. If lightning strikes, the electric current will travel through the outside shell of the train, not through the cabin, and pass through the wheels to the track. The train is grounded to the track. SMRT noted that this process of shielding is also used in cars and planes.
The matter is still being investigated by authorities.
