MRT disruption to continue into Thursday, no services between Jurong East and Buona Vista

SINGAPORE: A train disruption that began on Wednesday (Sep 25) morning will continue into Thursday, with no trains running between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations, said SMRT.
In an update at 9.30pm on Wednesday, the train operator said bridging bus services will be available between Jurong East and Buona Vista. Free regular bus services will also be available between Boon Lay and Queenstown.
Shuttle trains will also run between Boon Lay and Jurong East, and Buona Vista and Queenstown, said SMRT.
Regular train services between Boon Lay and Queenstown MRT stations were down on Wednesday due to a train fault, extending past the after-work rush hour. 
Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT engineers will conduct recovery works through the night, said LTA. 
“However, as the damage to the tracks is extensive, more time is required to do the necessary repairs and replacements,” said LTA.
“The LTA and SMRT will do a thorough check of all the first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries trains overnight, before they are put into service.”
LTA said it would provide a further update on Thursday morning.
Disruptions on the segment of the East-West Line affecting nine stations began as early as 9.25am after a train caused a power trip when it was returning to Ulu Pandan depot.
This caused a train near Clementi station to stall, and about 850 commuters on this train had to disembark on the tracks and be guided back to the station platform.
From then, regular train services were not available at the nine stations – Boon Lay, Lakeside, Chinese Garden, Jurong East, Clementi, Dover, Buona Vista, Commonwealth and Queenstown – in both directions. 
In a statement, SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming and group CEO Ngien Hoon Ping said the disruption was caused by an “unforeseen issue” during the withdrawal of an old train. 
A defective train axle box on a first-generation train dropped and caused the wheels of a bogie (train undercarriage) to come off the running rail and hit track equipment, including the third rail and point machines, the statement said, adding that this had led to the power fault.  
While the government has put money and effort into upgrading equipment, faults can continue to occur as electrical systems have several components, some of which may not have been replaced, said engineering expert Teo Chor Kok.
Even new equipment may have unknown inherent issues, said Mr Teo, a member of the mechanical and electrical engineering technical committee at the Institution of Engineers, Singapore.
Typically, when such disruptions take place, operation engineers and vendors would be called upon to assist in the restoration works, he told CNA’s Singapore Tonight.
A worst-case scenario would be the unavailability of a critical spare part, which could cause a delay of about a day in fixing the problem, he added.
In general, power equipment, depending on the environment they operate in, can last for between 20 and 35 years, he said.
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post that the Land Transport Authority would conduct “a thorough investigation to ascertain what happened and identify areas for improvement”.
At 5pm, shuttle train services serving seven stations – Boon Lay to Jurong East, and Buona Vista to Queenstown – were activated. The trains ran in ten-minute intervals and will last until the end of service on Wednesday. 
There was no shuttle train service between Jurong East and Buona Vista. Instead, bridging bus services were provided, with buses calling at every affected station. 
Signs and display screens informing commuters of the disruption were put up at affected and non-affected stations.
CNA reporters at several stations observed how crowds ballooned and were managed at platforms and bus areas during peak hour traffic.
At Jurong East, an interchange connecting the East-West and North-South lines, staff were seen assisting passengers with their commute ahead of rush hour. They advised passengers on routes – when to switch to shuttle bus services or the shuttle train – or directed them to the bus stop for bridging bus services.  
Two platforms at Jurong East were made available for the shuttle train towards Boon Lay.
A reporter taking an evening shuttle train from Jurong East waited 15 minutes for the train to depart. Some commuters disembarked from the train at Boon Lay, while others switched to a different train to head in the direction of Joo Koon.
At Buona Vista, confused passengers were heard asking staff how they could reach MRT stations beyond Queenstown. 
A queue of about 100m formed for the free bridging bus service from Buona Vista towards Jurong East at about 5.30pm. The line doubled in length half an hour later, with police officers deployed to keep order. 
Towards 7pm, the crowd had swelled to the point that station staff had to link arms to prevent commuters from jumping the queue for the bus. 
Tempers flared as staff shouted for commuters to join the back of the queue, adding to complaints from frustrated commuters over the same issue.
However the evening commute was mostly orderly, with the long queues moving at a steady clip.
Likewise, the queue for bridging bus services at Jurong East stretched to about 300m along the sheltered walkway from the bus stop outside Block 201 Jurong East Street 21 to opposite Westgate mall. The waiting time for buses was at least 15 to 20 minutes but passengers were observed to be waiting in an orderly manner. 
Boon Lay also saw a growing crowd, with staff having to hold commuters back at gantries to prevent overcrowding on the train platform. 
But amid the frustration, heartwarming moments emerged . 
A son of a station staff member who heard about the disruption drove over to support his mother and her colleagues at Buona Vista by providing drinks and snacks.
Muhammad Faris, 26, said he would wait for his mother to complete her shift before driving her home. 
He was not the only one. Other passengers left water, isotonic drinks, and fruit juice for MRT staff who had been working all day to handle the situation.
“I just came down to support my mother as well her friends that are working tirelessly throughout the whole day since the breakdown… to give a little bit of support. I’m pretty sure they’re very tired,” said Mr Faris, a technical officer.
The first of the written papers for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) will be held on Thursday.
In response to queries about students who may be delayed, the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board noted that students have been briefed on existing arrangements. 
The education ministry agency assured exam candidates that they would not be penalised for being late due to train service disruptions. 
“Candidates will be given the full duration of the paper if they reach the examination centre before the end of the paper,” a spokesperson added.