SINGAPORE'S TRANSPORT AUTHORITY PROBES SIX-DAY TRAIN SERVICE DISRUPTION

By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz

SINGAPORE, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has commenced regulatory investigation into the six-day train service disruption on the East-West line between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations.

The LTA said the disruption, which occurred from Sept 25 to 30, had affected commuters and the investigation is expected to be completed in a few months.

“First, we will investigate the root cause of the axle box’s failure. Second, LTA will examine the fault detection and incident-handling procedures to determine if appropriate actions were taken,” it said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the findings will be released to the public.

The investigation will include a forensic study into the nature of the axle box’s failure and will identify other potential contributory factors that led to the incident.

It will review existing procedures and propose measures to improve the detection of such faults, minimise disruptions to service, and prevent damage to rail infrastructure.

In addition, the LTA will also review the service recovery and disruption mitigation efforts to ascertain the timeliness and comprehensiveness of the responses taken by the operator.

“This includes the speed of deployment of the bridging bus services, the effectiveness of announcements on the disruption, the clarity of guidance to commuters on alternative travel options, and overall crowd management,” it added.

To support its investigation, the LTA will appoint an Expert Advisory Panel (EAP) to review the findings and advise on technical matters.

The six-member panel will be chaired by former head of Train Systems for London Underground, Malcolm Dobell.

As part of the investigation, the LTA will gather facts, interview the staff involved, review records and evidence, and consult with the EAP.

On Sept 25, a faulty first-generation train that had been in service for over 35 years was withdrawn and was on its way back to the depot when it caused damage to the tracks, including the running rails and third rail supplying power to the train.

Investigations by the LTA and train operator, SMRT, revealed that a defective train axle box had dropped, causing one of the bogies to come off the running rail.

-- BERNAMA