Passengers left confused after East-West Line delay due to track fault on Dec 2
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- On Dec 2, a track fault near Aljunied station caused 20-minute delays on the EWL between Bugis and Bedok, affecting eight stations.
- Passengers faced confusion due to unclear directions and platform changes at stations like Paya Lebar, with some travelling in wrong directions.
- SMRT rectified the track fault, gradually resuming services from 9.15pm, but did not communicate updates on social media.
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SINGAPORE – On the night of Dec 2, some passengers travelling on the East-West Line (EWL) between Bugis and Bedok stations experienced a delay of at least 20 minutes.
From around 8pm, posters and digital screen displays were put up at various stations indicating that a track fault had occurred, resulting in extra travelling time of 20 minutes between Bugis and Bedok stations – a stretch of eight stations.
At Paya Lebar station, one of the affected stops, trains called at platforms opposite to their designated ones and station staff were also said to have been unclear about the trains’ direction of travel.
SMRT, which operates the EWL, did not announce the delay on its social media pages, irking some passengers.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times on Dec 3, SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai said a track point failure took place near Aljunied station on the EWL at around 7.50pm on Dec 2.
A track point failure refers to a malfunctioning railway switch that allows trains to change tracks.
Commuters at Paya Lebar MRT station on Dec 2.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
A shuttle train service plied the stretch covering Lavender, Kallang, Aljunied and Paya Lebar stations, resulting in an additional 20 minutes of travel time across the affected stretch, he added.
Mr Lam said rail services on the rest of the EWL continued to operate normally in both directions, except for the scheduled train service shutdown between Bedok and Tampines stations, and between Tanah Merah and Expo stations. Train services are suspended between these stations till Dec 8 for track work
“Our staff and engineers responded promptly to rectify the fault, and normal train services progressively resumed from 9.15pm,” he said. “We thank commuters for their patience and understanding.”
SMRT did not answer ST’s question on why it did not inform the public about the delay and fault on its social media channels.
ST has also asked the Land Transport Authority for comment.
On Dec 2 night, the EWL platforms at Paya Lebar station were fairly crowded, with passengers visibly confused about the direction arriving trains were travelling towards.
Several people took to social media to air their frustrations, with one Reddit user noting that passengers were forced to alight from the train heading towards Bedok at Bugis station and board the train on the opposite platform to continue their trip towards Paya Lebar.
However, after switching trains, the train ended up going in the opposite direction towards Tuas Link instead.
The digital display at Chinatown’s North-East Line platform showed that there was a track fault on the East-West Line.
PHOTO: LAND TRANSPORT GURU/FACEBOOK
Another Reddit user had a similar experience and ended up being directed to the wrong train several times, resulting in repeated trips between Bugis and Lavender stations.
Some social media users lamented the absence of updates on SMRT’s official channels, and said they were confused about how to continue their journeys.
A sign on display at the passenger service centre of Bedok MRT station showed that there will be longer travelling times.
PHOTO: LAND TRANSPORT GURU/FACEBOOK
An independent advisory panel
One of the experts on the panel also called for a more “customer-centric” approach when communicating with passengers
In the wake of a series of rail disruptions, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow acknowledged in September that “we still can do better”, including giving passengers more accurate information on alternative routes and expected delays during an incident.
Instead of generic advisories, passengers should receive information tailored to their location. The information should also be centralised – possibly on a single app – so that passengers know where to look, he told Parliament on Sept 22
The absence of alerts on SMRT’s social media channels about an earlier fault had similarly angered passengers
On the morning of Nov 18, a train fault delayed commutes by up to 30 minutes on the Thomson-East Coast Line between Caldecott and Gardens by the Bay stations. There were no alerts on SMRT’s social media pages.
