Downtown Line crippled, North-South Line trains immensely delayed due to signaling faults (again)

Photo: Coconuts Media
Photo: Coconuts Media

Thought your commuting troubles were over last night when trains on the North-South Lines (NSL) were delayed for two hours? Nah, fam. Signaling faults returned this morning in a big bad way as they crippled the whole of SBS Transit’s Downtown Line (DTL) and caused further delays on the SMRT’s NSL.

Commuting woes started as early as 6:25pm, when SBS issued an alert that there were no DTL train services at all due to a signaling fault, while free bus rides were provided near the affected stations. Services reportedly returned at 7pm, but the progressive recommencing of trains meant longer waiting times.

DTL train services only started “running normally” at 9pm, nearly three hours after the troubles started.

Those traveling on the NSL fared no better. A signaling fault near Ang Mo Kio was surfaced at 6:29pm, causing extreme delays that reached up to 45 minutes of additional travel time in both directions between Sembawang and Marina South Pier MRT stations. Free bus services were provided, at least.

It was at 6:38pm that SMRT seemed to have given up on providing hope for commuters, and told folks to just take other MRT lines or look for alternative transport towards the city area.

Sure, SMRT, can do. If you’re willing to pay up to $71 for an Uber ride to work.

It was only at 9:22pm that the signaling fault was cleared on the NSL.

This was definitely not the morning to be late for school, especially for students who were due to take their ‘N’ Level preliminary and PSLE oral examinations — Channel NewsAsia spotted a long queue of students lining up at the passenger control station in Bishan MRT to collect excuse letters.

Today’s train service disruptions are just the latest to happen due to SMRT’s testing of its new signaling system, which is said to take months to completely stabilize — and just has to be tested during peak hours. But hey, it’s best not to say anything bad about it because the Minister of Transport believes that the media has been totally unfair in their reporting of SMRT’s troubles. We’ll just let the people speak for themselves then.



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