MRT reliability stays above 2 million train-km mark for third consecutive month

SINGAPORE – The MRT network registered a third consecutive month of gains in June, with the LRT network similarly showing improvement.

On average, MRT trains clocked 2.5 million train-km between delays lasting more than five minutes between July 2025 and June 2026, Land Transport Authority (LTA) figures published on July 17 showed.

This marks the third time in a row that the figure has exceeded two million train-km since November 2024.

It is also above Singapore’s rail reliability target – measured by mean kilometres between failure (MKBF) – of one million train-km for the entire MRT network.

MKBF is a widely used engineering measure of rail reliability, and shows how far a train travels before it encounters a delay lasting more than five minutes. LTA’s figures are based on a 12-month moving average.

The SBS Transit-operated North East Line (NEL) and Downtown Line (DTL), as well as SMRT’s East-West Line (EWL), held steady in terms of reliability.

The reliability of the other two lines operated by SMRT – the North-South Line (NSL) and Circle Line (CCL) – rose.

The NSL showed the bigger improvement, averaging 1.98 million train-km between delays, up from 1.65 million train-km in May. Yet, it remained the least reliable of the five MRT lines.

The CCL averaged 2.4 million train-km between delays, up from 2.37 million train-km the previous month.

The NEL remained the most reliable MRT line, averaging 4.46 million train-km between delays in June.

In June, there was no major delay exceeding 30 minutes across the five MRT lines and LRT network, according to LTA’s report.

The authority said in a press statement that there has been no major delay exceeding 30 minutes on the MRT lines since November 2025, the longest period without such a delay since the figure was first tracked in 2011.

It added that the results achieved in the past three months reflect the sustained effort and dedication of transport workers and rail operators, as well as the impact of recommendations to improve rail reliability made by a task force in February.

Meanwhile, train punctuality across the five lines improved slightly from 99.1 per cent to 99.32 per cent. This is measured as the percentage of trips completed within two minutes of the scheduled time.

Individually, only the DTL registered a dip from 99.92 per cent to 99.83 per cent, while the other lines improved on their punctuality scores.

The proportion of train services that operated on schedule also improved slightly, from 99.81 per cent to 99.82 per cent.

Again, only the DTL experienced a dip, from 99.94 per cent to 99.92 per cent. The other lines either improved or held steady on this measure.

The reliability of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), which is excluded from the overall reliability report, held steady in June, averaging 355,000 train-km between delays.

The SMRT-run line is not included because MRT lines in their early stages tend to have significantly lower mileage, owing to relatively low ridership and trains not running at typical frequencies, said LTA.

The TEL also did not encounter a major delay exceeding 30 minutes in June.

The authority added that the line’s performance is expected to improve after it fully opens in 2026 and operations have stabilised.

The fifth and final stage of the TEL, comprising Bedok South and Sungei Bedok stations, will open later in the year.

The LRT network’s overall reliability improved in June, with trains averaging 533,000 car-km between delays, up from 497,000 car-km in May.

The SBS Transit-run Sengkang-Punggol LRT recorded 892,000 car-km between delays, improving from 886,000 car-km.

The Bukit Panjang LRT operated by SMRT was also more reliable in June, clocking 293,000 car-km between delays, up from 263,000 car-km.