Circle Line train services back to normal after delays on 10-station stretch due to train fault
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Passengers alighting at Serangoon MRT station on the Circle Line after normal train service resumed at 5pm on March 5.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
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SINGAPORE – People travelling between the Promenade and Serangoon stations on the Circle Line on March 5 afternoon faced delays in their journeys due to a train fault.
Operator SMRT said on its social media platforms just after 4pm that commuters should expect a 30-minute delay when travelling in both directions on the affected 10-station stretch, with train service still available.
Free regular bus service was made available between the two stations, with a shuttle train service between the Bartley and Mountbatten stations also activated, according to SMRT.
The operator also advised commuters to use the North-South, North East, Downtown or East-West line instead.
SMRT said at about 5pm that normal train service on the Circle Line had resumed, with the free bus and shuttle train services stopped.
Several people took to the operator’s Facebook page to voice their displeasure about the confusion they experienced during the delays, including where to board the buses.
Among them were student Nicholas Lim and his friends. Speaking to The Straits Times at the Serangoon station, the 15-year-old said he boarded the train at the Stadium station at about 4.45pm, only to be told to turn back by a SMRT staff member at the Mountbatten station.
Back at the Stadium station, Nicholas said he and his friends were told to board the train heading the opposite way, towards Harbourfront.
One stop later in the train towards Harbourfront, they were told again to go back to the Stadium station by an SMRT employee, he said. At the Stadium station, they then boarded a train towards Serangoon after normal services resumed.
In an update at 5.10pm, SMRT said the train fault happened between the Paya Lebar and MacPherson stations at around 3.55pm, and the issue was resolved after its staff moved the affected train.
It added that commuters were updated on the situation through announcements in the train carriages and stations.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and appreciate commuters’ patience,” SMRT said.
Commuters on the Circle Line also faced delays on Feb 11 morning
It was one of the three rail delays that happened over five days that month, with the North East Line hit by a signalling fault on Feb 10, an engineering vehicle broke down
Additional reporting by Kevin Lim
