A power trip on the East-West Line on the morning of 25 September was triggered by a train that has been in service for more than 35 years, according to SMRT. As a result, approximately 850 commuters had to be detrained and guided to Clementi MRT station.
Train with more than 35 years in service emitted smoke
In a Facebook post, SMRT reported that at around 9:25 am, the faulty train was returning to Ulu Pandan depot when it encountered a fault and began emitting smoke. “This caused damage to the power cable and resulted in a power trip, disrupting train service between Boon Lay and Queenstown stations,” SMRT stated. The train responsible for the power trip was identified as a Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) train that has been in service for over 35 years. The power trip also caused another train near Clementi station to stall, prompting station staff to assist commuters on the affected train.
850 commuters on stalled train brought to safety
SMRT confirmed that about 850 commuters onboard the stalled train were safely detrained onto the tracks and guided back to the Clementi Station platform by staff on site. Announcements regarding the power fault were made on trains and at MRT stations. “Free regular and bridging bus services are available between Boon Lay and Queenstown stations. Commuters are advised to take alternative lines,” SMRT concluded in its post. The latest update from SMRT on X indicates that train services between Boon Lay and Queenstown are still down as of 2:55 pm on 25 September.
No train services on EWL “for at least the rest of the day” between Boon Lay and Queenstown
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on 25 September that train services would not be available on the East-West Line (EWL) between Boon Lay and Queenstown MRT stations for at least the rest of the day. To assist commuters, free regular buses and bridging buses between affected stations have been operating since the morning. From 5 pm, SMRT will also run a separate shuttle train service between Buona Vista and Queenstown MRT stations, and between Jurong East and Boon Lay stations. These trains will run at intervals of 10 minutes.
Impact on commuters and future measures
The disruption has significantly impacted commuters, many of whom had to alter their travel plans. A video posted by Syushoe on TikTok showed her walking on the train tracks at Clementi MRT station, highlighting the extent of the disruption. SMRT has apologised for the inconvenience caused and is working to restore normal service as soon as possible. Future measures to prevent such incidents may include more frequent maintenance checks and possibly phasing out older trains to ensure the reliability of the service.
