Singapore train disruption prompts apology, drags into weekend
By Aradhana Aravindan
(Bloomberg) – A rare breakdown on one of Singapore’s mass rapid transit lines is set to extend into the weekend, making it the longest unplanned train disruption in the city-state known for its efficiency.
“On behalf of the One Transport Family, I would like to offer my sincere apologies to all our commuters for the disruption,” Minister Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post after the Sept. 25 incident involving a faulty bogie that damaged a section of the tracks on the East-West line.
“Our workers are doing their best to safely restore train services as soon as possible,” he added.
The Land Transport Authority separately said it is working with operator SMRT to restore the service partially by Friday. The country’s second-longest rail disruption to date affected about 358,000 commuters on Wednesday, with another 516,000 expected to be impacted through Thursday, the Straits Times newspaper reported.
The disruption, which affected four stations, coincided with national examinations for 12-year-olds. Free shuttle services were provided on the affected route to ease the pain for commuters.
For a large chunk of Singapore’s six million people, local trains are the fastest and affordable way to get to work and school. The government discourages car ownership and the country remains one of the most expensive places to own a vehicle.
The city’s rail network faced a series of disruptions in 2017 after multiple faults caused breakdowns and delays. The incidents prompted a review and ultimately led to disciplinary action against employees and management executives responsible for the maintenance and supervisory lapses.
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