Forum: Independent oversight, more holistic metrics in rail reliability review needed

Recent reports of MRT disruptions and the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) formation of a rail reliability task force highlight growing commuter concerns (

LTA forms new task force with rail operators to tackle MRT, LRT disruptions

, Sept 19).

While operators have described these incidents as isolated and not systemic, the overall decline in mean kilometres between failures (MKBF) suggests a worrying trend.

Former SMRT chief executive Desmond Kuek had referred to “some deep-seated cultural issues” within the organisation back in 2017. It is timely to ask whether such issues persist and whether they are contributing to repeated service lapses.

The new task force, comprising LTA and rail operators, is a positive step. However, without independent members, its impartiality may be called into question.

Independent stakeholders – such as academics, international rail experts or commuter representatives – should be involved to ensure transparency, accountability and fresh perspectives. This would also strengthen public trust in the findings and recommendations.

In addition, it may be time to re-examine how we measure rail performance. MKBF has helped drive improvements, but it has limitations.

It does not adequately reflect the severity of disruptions, the number of commuters affected, or the effectiveness of incident recovery and communication.

For example, a 10-minute disruption during peak hours can have far greater impact than a similar delay during off-peak hours, yet this is not captured by the current metric.

For a more commuter-centric framework, metrics could include the frequency and duration of disruptions, peak-hour impact, affected passenger numbers, and the timeliness of service recovery and updates. Benchmarking against other world-class metro systems and incorporating commuter feedback would also provide a more accurate picture of reliability.

Ultimately, the goal must be to deliver a system that is not only technically reliable, but also responsive to commuters’ lived experiences.

Neutral oversight, cultural change and more holistic performance standards are necessary to achieve this.

Martin Lee Ming Han