New rail reliability task force takes page out of familiar playbook

But tried and trusted moves alone to fix woes will not work as circumstances have evolved

- Kok Yufeng

The recent spate of rail disruptions and the response to it has evoked a sense of deja vu.

Similar to the early 2010s and several periods thereafter, the reliability of train services has yet again been thrust into the spotlight, with the MRT and LRT networks hit by a string of disruptions in quick succession.

After three disruptions over four days in September and at least 15 within three months - a new task force comprising technical specialists, as well as senior leaders from the rail operators and Land Transport Authority (LTA), will be formed to stem the decline in reliability.

As part of its remit, the task force will identify rail parts that need to be replaced, upgraded or maintained more often.

It will also carry out full technical audits of critical systems and review service recovery processes to reduce the blow of future disruptions to passengers.

This all sounds familiar.

For the past decade, the renewal of rail systems and parts, better incident response and improved maintenance regimes have all been key areas that the authorities and train operators have been working on and investing heavily in.

It was in 2011 that signs of deeper trouble began to surface in Singapore's rail system.

That year was marked by multiple breakdowns that culminated in two North-South Line disruptions within days of each other, triggering a rare move by then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to convene a Committee of Inquiry.

The six-week probe resulted in profuse apologies, criticisms about cultural and systemic issues, as well as a long list of recommendations that were put into practice by a joint team comprising officers from LTA and rail operator SMRT a task force of sorts.