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SINGAPORE – Train services on the North East MRT line have resumed following a three-hour disruption caused by a power fault on Aug 12.
The power fault has also affected the entire Sengkang-Punggol LRT Line, with the Sengkang LRT service back up at 3.34pm.
LRT commuters can board free buses at designated stops at the Sengkang and Punggol LRT stations, while similar free bus services along the North East Line (NEL) have been stopped after the resumption of train services there.
The disruption on the NEL started at about 11am and affected train service between Farrer Park and Punggol Coast, a stretch of 11 stations, said SBS Transit Group CEO Jeffrey Sim in a Facebook post at about 3pm the same day.
Service was restored at 12.50pm between Farrer Park and Buangkok, and was declared fully back up at 2.10pm.
When contacted, operator SBS Transit referred The Straits Times to its social media post with Mr Sim’s statement.
In that post, Mr Sim said that free and regular bus services were available at affected stations and selected bus interchanges throughout the disruption. He added that its passenger service teams were also at the affected stations to assist and guide commuters.
“We apologise to all affected commuters for the inconvenience caused. We take this matter very seriously and are looking into the cause of the incident,” he said.
The operator had announced the MRT disruption on X at 11.17am and, during the disruption, posted on social media alternative routes for commuters.
When ST arrived at Serangoon MRT station at about 11.50am, power on the NEL side seemed to be off, though the lights remained on.
Trains travelling in both directions on the NEL were still at the platform.
Staff members could also be seen guiding commuters towards the street level, where they could take the free bridging bus services.
Passenger Shawn Tan, 17, said he found out about train services being down only when he arrived at the station.
The second-year polytechnic student was on his way home to Sengkang from classes at Singapore Polytechnic in Dover.
He said this was the first time such an incident had happened to him, but noted that “it was bound to happen one day”.
Madam Sandra Sim, 70, was heading to Woodleigh station from her home in Serangoon North.
She had tapped in at Serangoon station and was ready to board the NEL train before staff informed her that the service was not operational.
Madam Sim said she noticed that the station was darker than usual.
The homemaker added that more directions could have been given by the staff, as she realised that there were no NEL train services only after tapping in and attempting to walk towards the platform.
At one of the bus stops at Serangoon MRT station with bridging bus services towards Punggol Coast, a queue of more than 50 passengers had formed at about 12.35pm, snaking to the entrance of Nex shopping mall.
Over at Woodleigh station, Mrs Samjhana Gurung, 35, was planning to go to Little India to visit the bank, before picking up her son from his school in Serangoon at 1.30pm.
The homemaker told ST she was not aware train services were down, saying she would have left home earlier if she had known.
“I am feeling a bit worried and scared that I will not be able to travel to Little India in time, and to fetch my son from Zhonghua Primary School afterwards,” she said, noting that she will hop on a free bus service to Little India.
