“Issues with the TEL: Investigations underway after 3 Thomson-East Coast Line disruptions in a week. Transport operator SMRT, the Land Transport Authority (LTA), and French train maker Alstom are closely examining the three disruptions that affected the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) within a week,” as reported by Channel News Asia.
Engineers are currently delving into the root causes of the incidents that occurred on Dec 27, Dec 29, and Jan 2. SMRT mentioned in a Facebook post on Friday (Jan 3) that all three delays were unrelated. Addressing the initial disruption, SMRT stated, “A signalling fault had caused the earliest disruption and as a result, ‘multiple trains received stop commands and had to be manually driven at 18kph after system resets’.”
On Dec 27, the intermittent stoppages persisted for over 2.5 hours, leading to delays of up to 15 minutes. The Dec 29 incident involved a train experiencing “intermittent brake faults” upon departure from a station, resulting in a 15-minute delay for commuters traveling from Bayshore to Woodlands North.
SMRT noted, “In line with safety protocols, the train was manually operated at 18kph.” Preliminary investigations cited a possible component fault within the train as the cause. The Jan 2 incident involved a train activating the emergency brake system near Orchard MRT station, necessitating manual operation.
SMRT advised commuters to allow an additional 10 minutes for travel between Caldecott and Bayshore MRT stations due to a train fault. Investigations are ongoing regarding the root cause of this incident, with train services continuing uninterrupted in both directions throughout.
A separate ongoing inquiry into a disruption on the East-West Line between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations that occurred over six days in September last year. LTA stated that these investigations are expected to conclude in a few months. The TEL4’s fourth stage, encompassing stations such as Marine Parade, Tanjong Rhu, and Katong Park, opened in June. The fifth stage, connecting Bayshore and Sungei Bedok, is projected to be operational by 2026, with an extension linking the TEL to Changi Airport set for completion in the mid-2030s alongside the opening of Terminal 5.
