SINGAPORE - Passengers will have to face a longer wait of between 3½ and 4 minutes for trains on the Downtown Line (DTL) during peak hours on Tuesday evening (March 16).
This is due to a point fault - a glitch affecting a switch that allows trains to change tracks - on the tracks at Bukit Panjang MRT station, the starting point of the DTL.
Rail operator SBS Transit said that the fault resulted in only one out of the two platforms at Bukit Panjang being available for service.
Trains usually arrive at DTL stations every 2½ minutes during peak hours.
Ms Tammy Tan, senior vice-president of corporate communications at SBS Transit, said: "To avoid disrupting train services, rectification works will be carried out after passenger service hours, as traction power on the tracks between Bukit Panjang and Cashew stations will have to be switched off.
"We apologise to affected commuters for the inconvenience caused."
Commuters taking the DTL during the morning peak hour were also affected by the extended intervals.
Track point faults causing disruptions to MRT services have occurred before.
On Sept 19, 2018, a track point fault between Jurong East and Clementi MRT stations caused delays of up to 40 minutes during the morning rush hour.
On March 5, 2020, train service from Bishan to Yio Chu Kang was disrupted for nearly two hours in the morning, owing to a track point fault at Ang Mo Kio MRT station.
