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SINGAPORE — A train fault caused an additional 25-minute travel time for commuters on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) on Tuesday evening (7  Mar).

Train operator SMRT first tweeted about the delay at 5.05 pm, advising commuters to use alternative MRT lines. A train shuttle service was also made available between Caldecott and Orchard stations.

However, SMRT later announced that there would be no train service towards the Gardens By the Bay terminus. Bridging and free regular bus services were then made available at all affected stations.

The train fault occurred at Orchard station towards Woodlands at about 4.40 pm. SMRT stated in a Facebook post at 6.31 pm that their staff had been activated to recover service, and the defective train had been withdrawn for investigations.

At 6.27 pm, SMRT announced that train services towards Gardens by the Bay had resumed, with normal services on the TEL resuming at 7.21 pm.

The delay resulted in frustration for commuters, with some taking to social media to express their disappointment.

Many commuters were affected during the evening peak hour, and SMRT apologized for any inconvenience caused to the passengers’ evening commute.

This incident adds to the recent string of MRT disruptions, with commuters increasingly calling for better reliability and punctuality on the train network.

The government has previously noted that it aims to reduce train delays to less than five minutes by 2025, and is currently in the process of upgrading and maintaining the MRT system to achieve this goal.

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