EWL train disruption Track to be checked nightly to ensure stability of repairs

Visual inspections of newly re-placed sections of rail on the East-West Line (EWL) between Jurong East and Buona Vista MRT stations are being done every night to ensure no further issues or defects arise, said a senior engineer at rail operator SMRT.

- Kok Yufeng

Speaking to the media on Oct 1, Mr Shazni Jaffar, 33, who helped oversee some of the rail replacement work along the four-station stretch of the EWL where rail service was disrupted from Sept 25 to 30, said the more frequent inspections will continue until the team is confident about the stability of the repairs.

The stepped-up checks are expected to last a week, before track inspections return to the usual weekly schedule.

Ultrasonic testing will also be carried out on every new welding joint along the stretch to ensure quality.

In one of the worst disruptions to Singapore's MRT system in its 37-year history, train services along the EWL between Jurong East and Buona Vista were crippled for six days.

This was due to track damage so severe it shocked railway engineers put in charge of the recovery work.

“My immediate reaction was 'oh my god', because I have not seen any rail break in that manner,” said the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) deputy director for trackwork, Mr Zailani Mohamed Idris, 60.

The 25-year industry veteran said the pattern of the rail fractures was unusual, and different from the cleaner breaks usually seen as a result of wear and tear.

For Mr Shazni, this was the first major MRT disruption he has been involved in since joining the rail industry five years ago. “I was shocked,” he told reporters. “When I saw the extent of the damage, I knew we definitely would not be able to fix it in one night.”