Power trip following lightning strike stalls MRT services on NSL for over two hours

A traction power fault disrupted commutes along the northern stretch of the North-South MRT Line for more than two hours during peak traffic on June 3.

- Ang Qing

Transport operator SMRT said the fault, which occurred at about 5.50pm, meant that no trains could travel from Choa Chu Kang to Woodlands.

Preliminary investigations so far found that a lightning strike caused traction power to trip, and a small fire had broken out in a power control box next to the train track, about 20m from the platform of Kranji station.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said the fire had burned itself out before its officers arrived.

No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire and root cause of the traction power fault is under investigation, said SMRT.

As the operator's staff and engineers worked to get the system back up, commuters were told to take free regular bus and bridging bus services between the affected stops.