The disruption arose as a result of damage to our rail grinding vehicle (RGV) by a locomotive, the cause of which we are still investigating.

The RGV is used to grind tracks to level uneven edges for a smoother train run and this is performed daily during off-service hours. Due to the nature of the damage and site constraints, the recovery was slow. This was compounded by the fact that we were moving cautiously to avoid damage to tracks so that we could resume service after the maintenance vehicles were removed.

Once we determined the extent of the situation, over 300 SMRT staff were activated from as early as 4.40am to assist with the provision of alternative transport services and preparations for resumption of train service. On the ground, more than 100 staff were deployed to supplement staff strength at the affected stations.

In a situation where service is interrupted or degraded, commuters will be inconvenienced. And at the operational level, there are many pressing concerns key of which are to connect commuters so that they may continue on their journey as soon as possible.

On the morning of Jan 21, bus bridging services commenced at 5.38am to coincide with the start of train services to ferry passengers from Pasir Ris, Tampines and Simei MRT stations to Tanah Merah MRT station, where they could continue their journey on the unaffected stretches of the network.

In anticipation of the morning rush hour, we injected more buses bringing it to a total of 70 buses (40 SMRT and 30 SBS). This was the maximum number of buses deployable without severely impairing the bus services islandwide.

But there was still congestion at the stations as the heavy traffic conditions on the roads along the affected stations delayed the pace at which the buses could transfer commuters.

We also introduced westbound shuttle train services to ferry commuters to Tanah Merah MRT station. The train was travelling on the unaffected stretch of the track and cautious driving was imposed, which meant the train was driven in manual mode of 15kph, instead of the normal average speed of 45kph.

Information on the service disruption and alternative travel modes was disseminated through train and station announcements, notices, rail travel information system in the stations and electronic signboards at the entrance of stations.

Regular updates were also sent to radio and television channels. With the media's support, there were regular announcements to keep commuters updated on services available and to encourage those not already in the network to seek alternative modes of transportation.

We recognise there is room for improvement and will take all feedback into consideration when refining our plans.

However, as with all things mechanical and electrical, there will always be failures and in this instance, resulting in service disruption. Under such circumstances, SMRT is committed to directing its energies to connecting commuters to available services so that they can continue on their journey, providing timely updates to commuters, and recovering the system to resume normal operations as soon as possible.

Goh Chee Kong
Vice-President,
Corporate Marketing and Communications
SMRT Corporation Ltd