Commuters report being stuck for nearly half an hour during 10 Oct EWL Disruption
Some commuters took to social media to express their frustration during the East-West Line disruption on 10th October. While some claimed to have been stuck on the train for nearly half an hour, others voiced disappointment over SMRT's inability to manage repeated breakdowns. Some even sarcastically noted that as public transport fares continue to rise, train faults seem to be increasing as well.
SINGAPORE: On 10 October at noon, the East-West Line (EWL) experienced a disruption due to a train fault reported by operator SMRT at 12:31 PM.
Commuters were advised to expect an additional 25 minutes of travel time between Outram Park and Queenstown MRT stations towards Joo Koon.
SMRT also announced the availability of free regular bus services and assured passengers that station staff would be present to assist those in need.
By 1:22 PM, SMRT said train services from Queenstown station to Bugis had resumed.
SMRT explained that at 12:30 PM, a first-generation westbound Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) train stalled near Tiong Bahru station due to the fault.
"All commuters were safely disembarked at Outram Park station," said SMRT, who also expressed apologies for the inconvenience caused.
According to comments from commuters on social media platform XiaoHongshu, some reported being stuck on the train which halted between Tiong Bahru station and Redhill for nearly half an hour.
One commuter commented, "I'm really speechless... Just a few days ago, the EWL had a major breakdown and just recovered. I thought things should be safer recently? Yet today I encountered this, the train stopped between Tiong Bahru and Redhill for almost half an hour."
"SMRT really leaves people speechless. Prices increase every year (they're set to rise again at the end of the year), yet faults occur one after another."
"The last incident still hasn’t received a satisfactory response or explanation from the public, and now another one has occurred just a few days later."
Commuter Expresses Disappointment Over SMRT's Inability to Manage Repeated Breakdowns
Observing comments on SMRT's Facebook post, one commuter, who claimed to have been stuck in the faulty train for approximately 45 minutes, expressed disappointment that, despite numerous breakdowns, SMRT still could not manage the situation effectively.
There were also commuters who criticised the communication during the train fault. He pointed out that the announcement made at the station was so muffled that it was unintelligible, rendering it effectively useless.
As a result, He had to look for information on SMRT's Facebook page to find out about the delay.
Some questioned whether SMRT had conducted proper due diligence checks on all first-generation trains, given that the latest disruption occurred just 10 days after the resolution of a six-day major EWL disruption.
One netizen expressed dissatisfaction with SMRT's approach to managing first-generation trains.
The comment questioned whether SMRT was waiting for more breakdowns of these trains before deciding to withdraw them from service.
The netizen expressed concern that this delay in action resulted in unnecessary costs for repairs and significant inconvenience for commuters.
A Comment expressed frustration with SMRT's focus on post-incident announcements, arguing that such actions are too late. He suggested that SMRT should prioritise precautionary measures to enhance the reliability of train services.
Another netizen sarcastically noted that as public transport fares increase, train faults seem to be on the rise as well.
