East-West Line MRT service resumes after delays lasting around 5 hours; track point fault fixed

SINGAPORE — MRT service on the East-West Line has resumed after delays lasting around five hours on Aug 6.

Morning commuters were hampered in their train journeys from around 6am, after a track point fault caused delays and longer train travel time on the East-West Line.

Full train services were resumed at around 11am, more than five hours after the first hold-ups were announced by SMRT online and at train stations.

Engineers went onto the train tracks after morning peak hours to resolve the issue, after a track point fault was discovered, said the train operator.

SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai said that a point machine fault occurred near Jurong East station during the start of service on the morning of Aug 6, leading to trains being driven slower at 18kmh for safe operations.

He explained that a point machine controls train movements at rail junctions when trains switch tracks, and that engineers are working to fix the issue.

Commuters were first told at around 6am to expect a 15-minute delay when travelling eastwards between the Boon Lay and Clementi stations, with SMRT encouraging alternative travel options between those stations.

SMRT later extended the delays to Buona Vista station, meaning the affected stations also included Dover, with longer travel times lengthened to at least 25 minutes.

Free bridging bus services which were made available between the affected stations have ceased.

Morning travellers reported on Facebook longer waiting times of up to 45 minutes at the stations, leading to them reporting to work late.

Speaking to The Straits Times while queueing to board the train at Jurong East station, Ms Tutik Supelan said a friend had told her about the disruption in the morning, and she decided to add an hour to her journey from Bukit Batok to Tanjong Pagar.

She said the disruption made her feel uncertain about MRT trips. "Shouldn't they make the MRT more (reliable)? Spend some more money on maintenance," said the 40-year-old fitness trainer.

"We rely so much on the MRT. Now I'm wondering if I can even get on the next train or not," she said as a line formed behind her.

Some also reported having to wait longer at stations on the North-South Line, such as at Marsiling, Admiralty and Kranji.

A major grievance and source of confusion appeared to come from the contingency bus options and where travellers could board the bridging buses. A check by ST at Jurong East station found that the boarding point was at a bus stop about seven minutes away by foot.

Digital creator Arthur Lim said he was advised by train staff at Chinese Garden station to use the bus, but was greeted with chaos outside the station as a large crowd and unmanaged queue had formed.

"For 15 minutes, I stood and watched as the situation deteriorated, with no semblance of order or control," he said, adding that directing passengers to an unmanaged contingency plan was making a bad situation worse.

Commuter Oon Siow Li questioned if passengers should still be allowed to enter the train platforms if there are delays during the morning rush hour.

"People board then notice there's a train fault and (are) stuck inside the train," she wrote in a comment on Facebook.

Multiple commuters, commenting on Facebook and X, said that the delays were longer than the suggested 25 minutes, with some asking for more realistic delay times to avoid offering "fake hope".

Some recalled the major breakdown in September 2024 between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations that saw services disrupted for six days.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.