On Friday afternoon, a signalling system fault disrupted train services on the Circle Line (CCL) for more than two hours, causing delays of up to 40 minutes between the Dhoby Ghaut/Marina Bay and Paya Lebar MRT stations.
It was the first major disruption on the CCL in 2023.
Despite many commuters heading out for their Good Friday weekend plans, the disruption did not cause significant crowding at the stations, according to TOC’s correspondent who was present. This could be attributed to the public holiday, which may have reduced the number of people travelling.
To help passengers reach their destinations, transport operator SMRT informed passengers of an additional travelling time of 30 minutes via a tweet at about 1pm.
The transport operator also made free regular bus and bridging services available between the affected stations.
SMRT advised passengers at Dhoby Ghaut/Marina Bay heading for Paya Lebar to take the North-South Line and transfer to the East-West Line instead. Passengers at Promenade, Bayfront or Marina Bay stations were advised to take the Thomson-East Coast Line or Downtown Line, or use alternative modes of transport.
Train services were available throughout the incident, albeit at a slower speed.
SMRT stated that for the safety of its passengers, trains were moving at a slower speed across the affected stretch, resulting in longer train travel time. Both in-train and station announcements were made to inform passengers of the delay.
At around 2.50 pm, SMRT said the disruption was shortened to between Dhoby Ghaut/Marina Bay and Stadium, which meant that trains were running normally on the other parts of the CCL.
SMRT engineers were on-site to conduct the recovery operations, and additional staff were deployed to assist passengers.
SMRT apologized for the disruption, stating that it would continue to work with Land Transport Authority and the signalling original equipment manufacturer to enhance the system.
The transport operator acknowledged the inconvenience caused to passengers and apologized for affecting their Friday afternoon plans.
