On the evening of June 3, rush-hour commuters were hit by significant delays when a disruption occurred along the North-South MRT Line, affecting travel between Choa Chu Kang and Woodlands. The service interruption, lasting approximately two hours, left many scrambling for alternate modes of transportation.
The root of the disruption was identified by SMRT, the train operator, as a traction power fault resulting from a lightning strike. Initially, SMRT took to Facebook at 6.08pm to announce that train service between Yew Tee and Woodlands had been halted due to this issue. By 6.25pm, they clarified the southbound direction was affected, traveling towards Woodlands, and later at 7.17pm, they reported service was disrupted up to Choa Chu Kang.
To mitigate the inconvenience, SMRT advised stranded commuters to utilize the bridging bus services provided or to opt for other routes such as the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) or the Circle Line (CCL).
Social media users shared their experiences, with passengers posting photos of large crowds at Yew Tee station and others captured images of congested conditions inside stations, which hampered efforts to exit. Although there were signs indicating free bus services, a surge of people queueing for taxis and private-hire vehicles was noticeable.
An individual incident was reported at Kranji MRT where firefighting units from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were seen, and firefighters were spotted entering a restricted platform area. This presence led to speculation about a fire among netizens, although no visual evidence of fire was seen by commuters. A passenger, Han Yixin, recounted firefighters wielding fire extinguishers, adding to the tense atmosphere. Despite the option of free shuttles to expedite travel, Han estimated a delay of about an hour to his journey.
A more comprehensive update from SMRT at 8.50pm confirmed the lightning strike as the cause of the power fault with the added information that a small fire involving a power control box had broken out near Kranji station’s platform. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, and investigations into the incidents were underway.
SMRT resolved the northbound service from Woodlands to Choa Chu Kang by 7.53pm. Shortly after, at 8.10pm, southbound services commenced, bringing the two-hour ordeal to an end. The free bus services concluded at 8.32pm.
Commuters previously faced similar challenges, such as the reported delays on the Circle Line MRT due to a track fault requiring up to an additional 30 minutes of travel time. Those with news to share were encouraged to contact MustShareNews through their provided email address.
