Major breakdown on East-West Line: SMRT faces third service disruption in a month
SMRT's East-West Line suffered a major disruption on the morning of 25 September due to a traction power fault, halting services between Boon Lay and Queenstown MRT stations. SMRT confirmed the fault in a Facebook post at 09:52 am and advised that free bus services are available between the two stations.
SINGAPORE: The East-West Line (EWL) of SMRT experienced a major breakdown on Wednesday (25 Sept) morning, causing significant disruptions in train services between Boon Lay and Queenstown MRT stations.
SMRT confirmed the incident in a Facebook post at 09:52 am, attributing the issue to a traction power fault. Free regular bus services have been made available to commuters between the affected stations.
In a subsequent post, SMRT confirmed that at 9:25 a.m., a Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) train on the East-West Line experienced a power trip while returning to Ulu Pandan Depot, causing another train near Clementi station to stall.
Commuters reported various issues on social media, with one netizen stating that the disruption started around 08:55 am, when a train fault was observed at Clementi MRT station.
Later, at 09:15 am, a track fault was reported at Queenstown MRT station.
Delays and Confusion as Commuters Stranded Between Stations Amid Service Disruption
The disruptions caused delays and confusion, leaving some passengers stranded between stations.
One commuter tweeted about a prolonged stop between Clementi and Raffles Place, questioning the long wait.
The tweet, posted at 09:00 am, highlighted a stop that lasted between 10 and 20 minutes.
Another netizen confirmed the EWL track fault in a public post on the TATA SMRT Facebook group, adding to the chorus of complaints from frustrated passengers.
Photos shared by commuters with TOC showed crowded scenes at affected stations.
Despite SMRT advising passengers to use the free bus services provided between Boon Lay and Queenstown stations, efforts to restore normal service were still ongoing.
However, some members of the public told TOC that the promised bus services were not available. One commuter reported that staff at Jurong East station had no information about the buses.
While a netizen questioned the absence of bridging buses at Buona Vista for over 20 minutes, SMRT responded to the Facebook comment, noting that regular bus services could be used for free, advising commuters not to tap their fare cards. "Please do not tap in on the bus, as regular services are now free to board. We apologise for affecting your commute," SMRT added.
