Third train disruption in less than a week: Circle Line resumes service after signalling fault

The Circle Line has resumed service after a signalling fault between Paya Lebar and Marymount MRT stations caused delays on Tuesday (Feb 11) morning.

According to train operator SMRT, the signalling system fault occurred at around 8.11am, affecting a total of eight stations.

"The fault caused trains to stop, and power to the affected sector was tripped," said SMRT.

"Power was restored within five minutes, and train movement resumed at 8.20 am."

The Central Automatic Train System, however, was "sluggish" and affected the controllers' ability to manage train movements effectively, the train operator explained.

Hence, it took about 30 minutes for the entire Circle Line to return to normal service.

SMRT said that during the morning peak period, key interchange stations such as Serangoon, Buona Vista, Botanic Gardens and Bishan typically require one or two trains to clear crowds.

Due to the delay on the Circle Line, it took about three trains to ease the congestion.

In multiple posts on Reddit, netizens complained of long queues and large crowds at the affected train stations.

One post showing Serangoon MRT station packed to the brim has since garnered over 1,200 upvotes with more than 230 comments.

One Redditor shared their commuting experience: "I finally reached Bishan and the queue to get into Circle Line is around five to seven trains' worth.

"I could've easily taken the bus from my house to work but now I'm stuck crowding the Circle Line with everyone else."

To address the delay on the Circle Line, SMRT said it deployed station staff to assist commuters and made public announcements at affected stations.

"Alstom has developed a software patch to address this issue, which is scheduled for installation this Saturday," the train operator said.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused to commuters."

Third disruption within a week

This is the third train service disruption within a week.

On Monday morning, a signalling fault occurred at Buangkok MRT station, delaying travel times along the North-East Line by over 30 minutes.

The service disruption lasted for about an hour, said train operator SBS Transit.

Last Friday morning, an derailed engineering vehicle prevented some trains from leaving Bishan depot.

This affected train services on the North-South and East-West Line, which resumed regular service in the evening after the tracks were cleared.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com