Bishan MRT tunnel flooding cost SMRT $2m in repairs and replacements

Photo: SCDF / Facebook
Photo: SCDF / Facebook

On top of the huge amount of flak it received from the public over last October’s flooded train tunnel incident, SMRT also had to cough out millions to get everything back into ship shape.

In a written reply to the Workers’ Party Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leon Perera, Minister of Transport Khaw Boon Wan stated that SMRT spent about S$2 million to repair and replace equipment and components damaged when the underground tunnel between Bishan and Braddell MRT stations was flooded. Trackside equipment and components installed on the undercarriage of the train that had stalled in the tunnel were submerged in the murky floodwater, Khaw noted.

Considering the monumental amount of money spent and the public outcry caused by North-South Line train services being shut down for over 20 hours, it was only natural that heads would roll in the aftermath. Last November, SMRT concluded its internal investigations into the incident and subsequently found 13 of its staff responsible — they failed to properly maintain anti-flooding pumps that were meant to drain out water from the tunnels.

An internal investigation revealed that there were instances of falsified records of scheduled maintenance works by the assigned team between December 2016 and June 2017, meaning more than a few months went by without any maintenance works actually done.

The public transport operator has since fired eight of the staff members responsible, comprising of five technical staff who falsified pump maintenance records, as well as two managers and a senior executive who failed to ensure the maintenance was duly carried out. Anti-flooding measures have also been intensified following the incident.



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