Engineering Vehicle Derails at Depot, Disrupting MRT Services on NSEWL

Delays to morning and evening peak travel but train services continue through the day

- Sherlyn Sim, Kok Yufeng, Transport Correspondent and Sheo Chiong Teng

Passengers on the North-South and East-West MRT lines had to add up to 20 minutes to their morning commutes on Feb 7 after an engineering vehicle derailed at Bishan Depot.

Train journeys during the evening peak period on Feb 7 were also briefly affected, with longer intervals between trains on the two rail lines.

After more than 12 hours, engineers and technicians from rail operator SMRT were able to clear the tracks at the depot at 6.36pm. Normal train services have resumed, SMRT said at 7.20pm.

SMRT had confirmed at about 2.05pm that a wagon being towed by the affected engineering vehicle had gone off the tracks at Bishan Depot. This happened at about 5.15am, while the vehicle was returning to the depot after regular maintenance works in the early hours of Feb 7.

The derailed vehicle blocked a key crossing, preventing trains serving the North-South Line (NSL) from leaving the depot.

Trains from other depots had to be redirected from the East-West Line (EWL) to support the NSL, resulting in the intervals between trains on both rail lines being temporarily raised to up to five minutes in the morning.

The typical frequency during the peak hours of 7am to 9am is one train every two to three minutes.

At 4.27pm, SMRT warned of longer intervals between trains of about 3 1/2 minutes during the evening peak hours on the two lines.

Train services during off-peak hours were unaffected, it later added.