Sengkang-Punggol LRT system hit by second power fault in four days
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Kolette Lim, Esther Loi and Koh Ming Lun
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SINGAPORE – Trains on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT system resumed full service about four hours after a power fault led to a disruption on the morning of Aug 15.
Early findings suggest that a cable fault between Farmway and Kupang LRT stations in Sengkang tripped the power on the LRT network at 8.40am, affecting all 29 stations on the network, said public transport operator SBS Transit in a Facebook post.
When contacted, SBS Transit told The Straits Times that it is investigating the nature of the cable fault.
Service on the Sengkang LRT was restored progressively from 11.05am, while that on the Punggol LRT resumed gradually from 11.20am.
Full service on the Punggol LRT resumed at 12.32pm, and trains on the Sengkang LRT were fully up and running at 12.54pm.
SBS Transit subsequently ran trains in only one direction on both loops of the Sengkang LRT line from 3.15pm to 5pm, for cables to be inspected.
This would allow repairs to be carried out more efficiently after the end of service, it said.
This meant that at Sengkang LRT station, trains serving the west loop headed towards Renjong station, while trains plying the east loop travelled towards Ranggung.
Trains resumed running in both directions at 5.15pm.
The Aug 15 breakdown is the second time in four days that a power fault disrupted service on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT.
On Aug 12, operations on the LRT system were disrupted
Train service on the North East MRT line also went down for three hours
Investigations into the Aug 12 disruption found that an electrical surge damaged a switchboard
A second switchboard, serving as a backup, then shut down – a safety measure to prevent damage.
SBS Transit group chief executive Jeffrey Sim said the fault on Aug 15 resulted in 10 trains stalling on the tracks.
Recovery work started after all passengers, including those on mobility aids, had safely disembarked from the trains, he added.
Mr Sim said that following the incident on Aug 12, which damaged a switchboard of the power system, the Sengkang-Punggol LRT was running only on a single switchboard on Aug 15.
Without the availability of the other switchboard that served as a backup, he added, the cable fault disrupted LRT services and led to a longer service recovery time.
“SBS Transit is working closely to expedite the repair of the backup power system,” said Mr Sim.
When the trains stopped running, free regular and bridging bus services were rolled out from bus interchanges in Sengkang and Punggol, as well as bus stops near designated stations.
With trains up and running again, the free bus services have stopped.
Earlier in the day, at about 11.50am, ST saw engineers carrying out repair work on a stalled train at Meridian LRT station.
SBS Transit staff carrying out recovery work on a stalled train at Meridian LRT station on Aug 15.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
At Punggol LRT station, trains were arriving at one platform, while the other was cordoned off.
Once buses were deployed, about 10 SBS Transit staff were seen marshalling passengers to bus stops with bridging services and issuing reminders not to pay a fare for the free bus service.
Those queueing for the free services on buses plying the LRT stations along Punggol East, which arrived in five-minute intervals, were all able to get on board, with ample standing space for everyone.
Madam Kee Geok Suan, 65, who was planning to take the train to Oasis LRT station in Punggol to visit her sister, said she was upset to discover that train service was not available.
Oasis LRT station was closed at 11.20am on Aug 15.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
She added that the journey usually takes about 45 minutes, but she was not sure how much longer it would take with the disruption.
Madam Kee, an administrative executive, said: “I find it really inconvenient as I’m rushing for time.”
Business analyst Jason Sia, 45, who was travelling from Maxwell MRT station to Meridian LRT station near where he lives, was less troubled.
He said he estimated his journey would be only slightly longer.
He said: “It would be different if it were during rush hour, or I had an urgent meeting to attend.”
At Meridian LRT station in Punggol, Mr Edwin Tan, 34, found out there was no LRT service at about 8.45am.
He said: “I saw people coming down from the platform, and a fellow commuter told me the trains were not running.”
Mr Tan, a human resources assistant, was heading to Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. He had to hop on a regular bus service to Punggol MRT station to continue his journey.
Passengers waiting to board the free bridging bus services at Punggol Bus Interchange on Aug 15.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Other affected passengers squeezed onto buses because they were rushing to work, he said.
“I am frustrated and disillusioned. But this was not as bad as the first time around, as the MRT is working fine,” added Mr Tan.
Mr Muhammad Shaufin, who lives near Tongkang LRT station in Sengkang, said the time taken for the Sengkang-Punggol LRT service to be restored fully was “quite long”.
“I understand there are a lot of technical parts that need to be fixed, but it would be better if future train faults can be fixed within two hours,” added the 19-year-old student.
Additional reporting by Angelica Ang
