MRT track issue causes 5-hour delay; Jeffrey Siow says 'we can and will do better'

Train service on a stretch of the East-West Line (EWL) was disrupted for five hours on Aug 6 due to a faulty point machine near Jurong East MRT station.

- Vanessa Paige Chelvan Correspondent and Lok Jian Wen Correspondent

Track point machines control the movement of trains from one track to another.

The fault occurred just after the start of service, with operator SMRT telling passengers at about 6am to expect a 15-minute delay on the eastbound track between Boon Lay and Clementi stations.

The disruption was later extended to include Dover and Buona Vista stations, with travel times lengthened by at least 25 minutes.

Services resumed at about 11am, after engineers went onto the tracks after the morning peak period to fix the issue.

To ensure the safety of commuters, trains were driven at a slower speed of 18kmh in manual mode. Trains usually travel at speeds of 60kmh to 80kmh.

In a Facebook post on Aug 6, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said the series of disruptions that hit Singapore's rail system over the past few months was disappointing, and "we can and will do better".

He noted that the disruptions occurred on different lines and were unrelated.

"I understand commuters' frustration whenever there is a delay or disruption in train service, because it messes up your day and throws off your plans," said Mr Siow.

But train delays cannot be eliminated, and will happen from time to time, he added.