MRT staff unable to find rat on board; train withdrawn to depot

Did it pay the train fare?

A train was withdrawn to the deport after a rat was spotted on board on Friday (April 28).

Stomp contributor Jack shared a photo of the rodent on the train.

A video posted by TikToker Salem81 shows some seated commuters lifting their feet to let the animal scurry along the floor of the carriage as the train was arriving at Dover MRT station.

@salimscorpio When the rat wanting a free ride on the mrt 😎 #ratonmrt #ratfreeride #smrt ♬ It's a Beautiful Day - Evan McHugh

Someone commented on the video: "Passengers are surprisingly calm."

The Tiktoker replied: "Everyone just amused with the presence of Mr Rat."

Another commented: "Please inform MRT staff and ask them to bring Tom.

In response, the TikToker shared a photo of SMRT staff on the train with the caption: "Three station staff came on board to catch the rat, but the rat disappeared already."

@salimscorpio Replying to @JinkCrisJun Ray ♬ Dj Dayak Full Beat Lagu Malihi Janji - Jeremya Ginting

In response to a Stomp query, President of SMRT Trains Lam Sheau Kai said: "On April 28, a commuter alerted our station staff at Jurong East station that a rat was sighted on an eastbound train on the East-West Line. Our staff boarded the train to check but were unable to locate it.

The train was subsequently withdrawn to the depot, where our staff managed to locate and remove the rodent.

"We thank the commuter for alerting our staff of this incident, and would like to remind everyone to refrain from eating and drinking on trains and buses so as not to attract pests."

"We advise commuters to remain calm and approach our station staff in similar instances."

This article was first published in Stomp. Permission required for reproduction.