Much has been said about the constant MRT train breakdowns, which have been plaguing commuters in increasing intensity over the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately for all of us who have to take the train to work every day, SMRT said that the signalling system has to be tested during peak hours, which basically means we have no choice but to keep on keeping on. (On particularly angsty days, you could even add your signature to the petition to get SMRT into the Guinness Book of Records for the highest number of train delays in a year).
Anyway, SMRT has announced that the new signalling system on the North-South Line (NSL) will take about four to six months to completely stabilize. But it is installing a software update tonight (after operating hours, don’t worry) to tackle the glitches — some of which include door alignment issues that occur when the tracks are wet and when trains halt at elevated stations.
Sure, that doesn’t mean fool-proof smooth rides forevermore, but it’s a step forward to stabilizing the system.
Oh, and before you place the entire weight of the blame on the new signalling system, SMRT Trains’ CEO Lee Ling Wee explained that “not every incident and delay on North-South and East-West Lines over the past few weeks was caused by the new signalling system… From time to time, we still encounter signalling faults due to the ageing legacy system.”
Not sure if that’s good or bad news, but here’s hoping the Monday morning rush won’t be too traumatic.
