SBS Transit: Power fault at depot substation triggers major NEL and LRT service disruption

A major power fault at a depot substation caused prolonged disruption to train services on the North East Line (NEL) and Sengkang-Punggol LRT on 12 Aug 2025, SBS Transit said in a statement. The incident halted NEL services between Farrer Park and Punggol for three hours, while Sengkang-Punggol LRT services were suspended for up to five hours.

Fault traced to voltage transformer failure

Preliminary investigations revealed a failure in the power switchboard, which caused a flashover in one of the voltage transformers regulating the power supply. This triggered both the main and backup power supplies to trip, in line with safety protection mechanisms, according to SBS Transit Group CEO Jeffrey Sim. The faulty transformer could not be repaired immediately. Engineers decided to bypass the depot substation and draw power from an alternative substation at Dhoby Ghaut to restore operations.

Restoration of NEL services

Extensive checks were carried out to ensure the fault would not affect operational stations. Power was progressively restored, with full NEL services resuming at 2.10pm. Free bridging buses and regular bus services were activated to serve commuters during the disruption.

LRT recovery took longer

The Sengkang-Punggol LRT was down for about five hours, with restoration works carried out in stages to avoid overloading the shared Dhoby Ghaut substation. Recovery required a full restart of signalling and power systems, along with checks on LRT vehicles. Power on the Sengkang LRT was restored at 3.34pm, while the Punggol LRT resumed service at 4.04pm. To reduce stress on the single power source, evening peak services on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT operated on a single track for both east and west loops. SBS Transit said its engineers, alongside those from the Land Transport Authority (LTA), would work during engineering hours on 12 Aug 2025 to restore power to the depot substation. Full service on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT is expected to resume from the morning of 13 Aug 2025. SBS Transit also apologised to affected commuters and pledged to work with LTA to prevent a recurrence.

Recent spate of rail incidents

This is the latest in a series of rail disruptions in recent weeks. On 6 Aug 2025, the East-West Line suffered a five-hour suspension. On 1 Jul 2025, the Thomson-East Coast Line was halted for over an hour due to a signalling fault. In addition, two power faults led to suspensions of the Bukit Panjang LRT service in July. Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow had described the spate of incidents as “disappointing” during remarks made a week before the latest NEL disruption.