Probation for teen who entered MRT tracks during operational hours and filmed train
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The teen allegedly committed criminal trespass on March 27 at around 8.15pm by climbing a scaffolding in Upper Changi Road to access the train tracks during operational hours.
PHOTOS: SCREENGRAB FROM FACEBOOK VIDEO/COMPLAINT SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE – A teenage boy intruded onto MRT train tracks between Tanah Merah and Simei stations
After about five to 10 minutes on the tracks, he left the vicinity and uploaded the clip on Instagram.
He was caught after an SMRT employee saw the video and alerted the police.
On Jan 6, the 17-year-old offender, who cannot be named due to a gag order, was sentenced to 18 months’ probation.
He must remain indoors from 10pm to 6am every day and perform 80 hours of community service.
His parents were bonded for $5,000 to ensure his good behaviour.
The teen must also attend all psychiatric and psychological assessments and treatments.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to endangering the safety of others who were travelling along the railway. He also admitted to an unrelated criminal trespass charge.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Xu Sijia told the court that in January 2025, the offender noticed two scaffolding structures leading up to the train tracks in Upper Changi Road.
He then hatched a plan to explore the train tracks by accessing them via the scaffolding.
On the evening of March 27, 2025, he went to the scaffolding area and waited for the people working there to leave.
He then removed his shirt and wore it around his face to conceal his identity, before entering the area through a gap in a fence.
He ducked down to avoid detection and moved towards the scaffolding structure.
After that, the teenager lay down and squeezed through a gap between a gate and the ground.
The DPP said: “He then climbed up a staircase behind the gate which led to the train tracks. He paused halfway on the staircase and ducked down when he saw two people walking along a footpath.
“When he heard an approaching train, he lay down beside the train track to avoid detection and recorded a video of the passing train with his phone.”
After the train passed, he crossed to the opposite side while still recording the video.
The teenager then snapped a photo and took another video of the train tracks before leaving through the same scaffolding.
He later told investigators that he was on the train tracks for about five to 10 minutes, and saw between four and six trains passing by.
Soon after, he uploaded the video of the passing train online via the Instagram Story function, making it viewable only to account holders on his “close friends” list.
On June 9, 2025, he uploaded the video on his second Instagram account using the same function.
But the next day, he found out that the video had been reposted on another party’s Instagram account.
Noticing that the video was becoming viral, the teenager deleted his second Instagram account to try to avoid detection.
DPP Xu said: “The accused’s actions endangered the safety of the commuters travelling on the trains... and himself, and also posed a real risk of disruption to train operations.”
In a separate incident, the teenager was at home around 11pm on May 16, 2025, when he felt the urge to do some climbing.
Clad in only his underwear and shoes, he left his home and took a lift to the 14th floor of a block of Housing Board flats.
After that, he walked up a flight of stairs to the 16th floor and went to the end of a corridor.
A 27-year-old man was in his own flat when he heard noises nearby. He went to the corridor and saw the teenager leaning on a parapet ledge.
The DPP said: “The complainant felt scared and returned to his unit to call the police for assistance. While making the call, the complainant noticed that the accused was on the parapet ledge attempting to climb onto the roof of the HDB block.”
The offender made his way to the rooftop where he sat down, listened to music and made video calls before police arrived at the scene.
When he heard some officers shouting for him, he walked to the opposite end of the rooftop and made use of some ledges and laundry racks to climb down.
He then noticed bystanders and police officers on the ground floor looking for him.
In a bid to evade arrest, he entered an 86-year-old woman’s unit through an open window. It is not stated where the window was located. He then tried to open the windows near the front door.
When the teenager heard police officers approaching, he entered the victim’s bedroom and hid under her bed.
The DPP said that the elderly woman was sleeping and did not notice the offender’s presence.
The teen decided to surrender himself to the authorities about 30 minutes later, and found the woman’s key on her bed.
He opened the front door and surrendered to the officers, who woke the woman up and told her about the incident.
