Transport Minister: Boon Lay-Queenstown train services may not resume tomorrow; SMRT leaders apologise

SINGAPORE: In response to the major disruption along the East-West Line (EWL) affecting train services between Boon Lay and Queenstown stations today (25 September), Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat addressed the situation from Beijing, where he is attending the Global Sustainable Transport Forum.

Mr. Chee confirmed that there is a possibility normal train services may not resume tomorrow, as the teams from SMRT and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will assess the situation and provide updates during engineering hours tonight.

He also emphasized LTA's commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into the incident to identify areas for improvement.

Separately, SMRT Chairman Seah Moon Ming and GCEO Ngien Hoon Ping issued apologies to commuters on Wednesday afternoon.

They explained that the disruption was caused by an "unforeseen issue" during the withdrawal of an old train, wherein a defective axle box on one of SMRT's first-generation trains dropped.

This led to "the wheels of a bogie to come off the running rail and hit track equipment, including the third rail and point machines, leading to the power fault."

"At SMRT, we hold the safety and well-being of our commuters and our staff as our highest priority. We fully understand the inconvenience, frustration, and delays this disruption has caused, and we deeply regret the impact it has had on your journey," they stated.

Both the SMRT Chairman and GCEO assured that they are working diligently to restore services as quickly as possible.

"Once again, we extend our sincerest apologies for the disruption and deeply appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued trust in SMRT."

In a Facebook post, Minister Chee confirmed that the disruption was linked to a train fault near Clementi MRT Station.

As SMRT worked to withdraw the damaged train, it caused significant damage to the tracks, including the running rails and the third rail that supplies power to the trains. Due to the extent of the damage, normal train services could not resume for the remainder of Wednesday.

To alleviate commuter inconvenience, SMRT will provide shuttle train services between Boon Lay and Jurong East (interchange with the North-South Line) and between Queenstown and Buona Vista (interchange with the Circle Line). Additionally, bridging bus services will be offered at no cost to commuters.

Acknowledging the potential impact on students taking the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE), Minister Chee stated he is in contact with the Ministry of Education and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board to prepare contingencies.

"I would like to thank commuters for their patience and also express my appreciation to our transport workers who are working hard to restore the train service as soon as possible."