Service on Punggol and Sengkang LRT disrupted for 2½ hours due to repeated power trips

SINGAPORE - Service on the Punggol and Sengkang Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems was disrupted for more than two hours on Wednesday (June 1) evening due to repeated power trips.

According to initial assessment, a suspected cable fault could have caused the power trips, said operator SBS Transit.

Passengers had to detrain and walk to the nearest platform after a train car stalled in the middle of the tracks.

SBS Transit first announced on Twitter at 7.12pm that there was no service due to a power fault. "Free bus rides are available at designated stops. We are sorry," said the transport operator.

01/06, 7.12pm: No service on Sengkang & Punggol LRT due to a power fault. Free bus rides are available at designated stops. We are sorry.

— SBS Transit (@SBSTransit_Ltd) June 1, 2016

In an update at 9.05pm, it tweeted: "We are working to get service back up as soon as possible."

01/06, 9.05pm: No svc on Sengkang & Punggol LRT systems. We are working to get service back up as soon as possible.

— SBS Transit (@SBSTransit_Ltd) June 1, 2016

At 9.30pm, it confirmed that full service has resumed and that free bus rides were still available. "We are sorry for the inconvenience caused."

01/06, 9.30pm: Punggol LRT and Sengkang East LRT have resumed full service. Free bus rides are still available.

— SBS Transit (@SBSTransit_Ltd) June 1, 2016

At 10.03pm, it tweeted again: "Free bus rides & bridging bus services have ceased."

01/06, 10.03pm: Sengkang/Punggol LRT full svc has resumed since 9.29pm. Free bus rides & bridging bus services have ceased. We are sorry.

— SBS Transit (@SBSTransit_Ltd) June 1, 2016

A resident who lives in a Housing Board block near Sengkang station said a train car stalled in the middle of the tracks. From the window of her 13th floor unit, she could see some passengers getting off the train and walking on the tracks. But some commuters remained in the train.

"The passengers had to walk some distance on the tracks to the next station," said housewife Tan Kim Choo, 72. "The headlights of the train went off briefly before coming back on again."

Responding to media queries, Mr Gan Juay Kiat, CEO of SBS Transit, said: "Train services on the Sengkang and Punggol LRT systems were disrupted at about 7.00pm this evening due to repeated power trips. Full services resumed at 9.29pm.

"Free bus rides as well as free bridging bus services were available during the disruption to enable commuters to continue with their journeys," he added.

"Initial assessment is a suspected cable fault. We are investigating the cause of the fault. We apologise to affected commuters for the inconvenience caused."

#sengkang #LRT is down. :(( pic.twitter.com/2oMSFWNjvf

— Ken (@alphahelix) June 1, 2016

No power for the lrt to run guess I have to walk back to the bus stop... pic.twitter.com/67aaHgzGQT

— Skylerx3 (@skylerthekidx3) June 1, 2016

#LRT #Powerfailure pic.twitter.com/VStXiwHUgE

— Jason Lim (@jas0nsg) June 1, 2016

This article was first published on June 1, 2016.
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