No train service across Singapore's entire Bukit Panjang LRT line due to power fault
SINGAPORE: Train service across the entire Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) line came to a halt on Thursday (July 3) morning due to a power fault.
In a Facebook update at 9.13am, transport operator SMRT notified commuters about the fault spanning all 13 stations that happened at around 8.50am. It said that free regular or bridging buses are available outside the stations.
In an update about five minutes later, SMRT said that its staff are on site working to resolve the issue and are assisting affected commuters.
'Train services are currently unavailable across the entire BPLRT system. In-train and station announcements have been made to keep commuters informed,' SMRT said.
'We apologise for the disruption to your journey and appreciate your patience', it added.
This is the second train disruption to occur this week, after a signalling fault at Orchard station on the Thomson-East Coast Line on July 1 led to delays between Napier and Great World stations. Train service resumed after two hours.
The 8km long BPLRT network has had a long history of reliability issues, with the most recent disruption taking place on Oct 22, 2024, during the evening rush hour.
Train services stalled between the Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang LRT stations and only resumed the next morning.
Initial findings showed that the breakdown was in one of the wheel assemblies on a faulty train.
Following this, the Land Transport Authority and SMRT said that it would end train services an hour earlier from Thursdays to Sundays between Nov 14, 2024, and Oct 31, 2025 to facilitate renewal works.
These include the upgrading of the BPLRT's signalling system, and the testing of new and retrofitted light-rail vehicles.
Works to upgrade the existing signalling system on the BPLRT to a new communications-based train control system that better controls train speeds – similar to that used on MRT lines – have been carried out progressively since 2022.
LTA said it is targeting to complete the full renewal programme by the end of 2026. This was delayed by two years from 2024 due to a manpower shortage and supply chain disruptions arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2024, the average daily ridership on the LRT network, which includes the Sengkang-Punggol LRT, stood at 210,000. This was an increase of 4 per cent over the 2023 figure. - The Straits Times/ANN
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Road diversion between Bukit Gambir and Tangkak from Aug 5
JOHOR BAHRU: PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) will implement a phased road diversion along KM166.79 to KM168.26 in both directions between the Bukit Gambir and Tangkak interchanges on the North-South Expressway starting August 5. The diversion, announced via a Facebook post, is necessary to facilitate bridge construction works by a Public Works Department contractor and will remain in effect until December 30. 'Motorists are advised to plan their journeys and comply with all traffic signs and instructions from PLUS personnel when passing through the area,' the statement read. For real-time traffic updates, motorists can use the PLUS mobile application or contact the PLUSLine at 1-800-88-0000 in case of emergencies. - Bernama
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Singapore's 2024 MRT breakdown could have been prevented with better coordination: SMRT CEO
SINGAPORE: The six-day disruption to train services on the East-West Line (EWL) in September 2024 could have been prevented with better coordination among all parties involved, said SMRT group chief executive Ngien Hoon Ping on July 31. Setting out the rail operator's view of the breakdown – one of Singapore's worst so far, affecting 2.6 million passengers – Ngien said the right lessons needed to be learnt so that the same mistakes are not made again. This means working more closely with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and equipment manufacturers during fleet and systems renewals. 'We need robust, forward-looking life-cycle planning, clear roles and responsibilities, and much tighter cross-agency collaboration moving forward,' said Ngien during a press conference on the latest financial results for SMRT's train division. On July 31, SMRT said the 2024 EWL breakdown has prompted 'deeper reflections' on the challenges of operating rail assets beyond their intended lifespan. Noting that MRT trains in Singapore are designed to be operated for 30 years, the operator called for a structured framework to manage ageing trains, suggesting that LTA issue a formal certificate to rail operators if such trains are used beyond their intended lifespans. Such certificates are already issued for new trains before they enter service. The process involves checks by the train manufacturer and an independent assessor to ensure all safety specifications are met. The 2024 EWL disruption was traced to a faulty part on a 37-year-old, first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) train, which caused extensive damage to 2.55km of track and trackside equipment as it was being withdrawn from service. Investigations found that SMRT had extended the interval between overhauls for the KHI fleet without a detailed engineering and risk assessment. However, LTA did not review the extension either, nor did it require SMRT to seek its approval. SMRT, meanwhile, has cited repeated delays in the delivery of new replacement trains that would have allowed it to retire the faulty train earlier. The new trains were ordered by LTA in 2018, two years after the authority took over ownership of SMRT's rail assets under a revised financing model. Under this model, LTA makes decisions regarding upgrading and asset replacement. The new trains were meant to arrive from 2021, in time for the KHI trains to be decommissioned. But they were delivered only from 2023 onwards. This was one of the factors that LTA took into account when it lowered the fine that SMRT would pay to the Public Transport Fund, to S$2.4 million (US$1.85 million) from S$3 million, as a penalty for the September 2024 incident. The decision came after SMRT made its final representations on the matter. SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming said on July 31 that the rail operator was faced with a 'tough choice' over whether to overhaul the old KHI trains or wait for the new ones made by French company Alstom to arrive. He said MRT trains are usually overhauled after clocking 500,000km, which is about every four years, and the planning for such works takes place about 1½ years in advance, so that the operator can source the necessary parts. The KHI trains were last overhauled in 2018. After repeated delays to the new trains, SMRT decided to overhaul the KHI fleet again in 2022, Seah said. But SMRT had trouble procuring spare parts due to global supply chain disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic. Hence, it could start on modular overhaul works only in December 2023 using the limited parts available. By September 2024, 18 out of 66 first-generation KHI trains were overhauled. But the faulty train that caused the major disruption that month was not among them. Ngien, who was LTA chief executive from 2016 to 2020, said more proactive and deliberate decisions about the KHI overhaul could have been made earlier if there was better coordination between asset owner LTA and the rail operator. He also revealed that the new Alstom trains had issues with overheating batteries when they were first delivered in 2023. 'Frankly, it's not reasonable to expect the operator to have a contingency plan to continue to overhaul, just in case, in 2021, the trains (were not delivered). Even so, there must be certain discussions and agreement as to the funding,' Ngien added, noting that SMRT paid for the additional overhauls to the KHI fleet. In its statement on July 31, SMRT lauded the announcement in March that up to $1 billion in additional government funds will be invested over the next five years to improve the management of rail assets here. 'This is a positive step in addressing the challenges Singapore faces in managing train fleet transitions,' it said. SMRT said it also plans to deepen direct engagement with equipment manufacturers, pointing to its partnership with Alstom to accelerate the testing of the new North-South and East-West line (NSEWL) trains being delivered. 'This proactive approach allows potential reliability and interoperability issues to be resolved ahead of full deployment. We remain on track to retire all first-generation KHI trains by end-September 2025,' the operator added. There are 13 KHI trains still operating today, and they are used only during weekday peak hours. Meanwhile, 63 new Alstom trains have entered service on the NSEWL so far, out of the 106 trains on order. - The Straits Times/ANN
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Singapore's Bukit Panjang LRT to shut on two Sundays to facilitate tests; some upgrading work nearing completion
Fourteen of 19 new third-generation light rail vehicles have been deployed for passenger service. - Photo: ST SINGAPORE: Train service on the Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) line will be suspended for two days so that a new signalling system can be tested to make sure it is properly integrated with new and upgraded light rail vehicles. In a statement on Wednesday (July 30), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and BPLRT operator SMRT said the line would be closed on two Sundays – Aug 31 and Sept 21. The closure will allow the testing of the new signalling system while 'simulating actual operating conditions', LTA and SMRT said. This is to make sure that the various BPLRT systems can operate safely and reliably when they are rolled out for passenger service, they added. A shuttle bus service, LRT Shuttle B, will operate on Aug 31 and Sept 21 in the direction of BPLRT Service B from Choa Chu Kang station to Bukit Panjang, via Petir, at a frequency of five to 15 minutes. LTA and SMRT said renewal works on the BPLRT's signalling system and fleet are nearing completion. Fourteen of 19 new third-generation light rail vehicles have been deployed for passenger service, and 11 of 13 second-generation vehicles have been upgraded and returned to service. The remaining new third-generation vehicles and upgraded second-generation vehicles are expected to be deployed by the end of 2025. Work to upgrade the new communications-based train control signalling system, similar to that used on Singapore's MRT lines, will also be completed then. Upgrades to BPLRT's Operations Control Centre and power rail replacement are also under way and due to be completed by the end of 2026, added LTA and SMRT. In addition to the new signalling system, the BPLRT has a fully upgraded power supply system, LTA and SMRT said. The power supply system has increased capacity, 'including dedicated power supply monitoring and control systems', added LTA and SMRT. This comes on the heels of two recent service disruptions on the BPLRT network, which opened in 1999. On July 19, train service stalled for almost two hours after a power fault crippled the entire line. Less than a month earlier, on July 3, a power trip resulted in a three-hour-long service disruption. All 13 BPLRT stations were affected during both service disruptions. Both incidents were linked to the newly installed Power Scada system, said Mr Lam Sheau Kai, president of SMRT Trains, in a July 20 statement on SMRT's Facebook page. The system plays a key role in monitoring and controlling power distribution across the LRT line. The lifts at all BPLRT stations will be replaced by March 2027, LTA said, to make them easier to use for wheelchair users. The new lifts will come with rear wall mirrors, and lift buttons will be larger and illuminated for better visibility. The lifts will also have energy-saving features, such as energy-efficient motors and drives, and LED lighting to reduce energy consumption. Lift upgrading works will begin from Aug 11. There will be no lift access at affected platforms during lift upgrading works, LTA said. To minimise the impact on commuters, lift replacement will be carried out at one platform of each station at a time. There will also be a mechanised stair climber service at affected platforms, which can be used by users of standard and light mechanised wheelchairs, LTA said. Commuters who wish to use this service are encouraged to pre-book it through a QR code or phone hotline provided on posters at all BPLRT stations. - The Straits Times/ANN
