A train failure caused a delay in Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) train services yet again on Thursday evening. Commuters on the TEL experienced the same disruption to their commutes for the third time in seven days.
In a Facebook post at 7.38pm, operator SMRT said that due to a train malfunction, commuters should allow an extra 10 minutes for their trip between Caldecott and Gardens by the Bay, which spans 12 stops. There were still trains running in both directions.
Nearly 10 minutes later, SMRT announced that the delay had extended to 19 stations, from Caldecott to Bayshore. Both directions of train service were impacted.
However, at 8 pm, SMRT posted that the problem was fixed. Those traveling from Bayshore to Woodlands North suffered a 15-minute delay on the Sunday evening due to a malfunction on the TEL, with trains running more slowly during the interruption.
A signalling system malfunction on December 27 caused the TEL to stop intermittently, resulting in a delay of up to fifteen minutes.
At the time of the disruption, which began at 6.30 am, SMRT said that trains were still operating in both directions between the Woodlands North and Bayshore stations. At 9.06 am same day, the operator said that regular service had returned.
As soon as the Facebook post was shared, netizens flocked in to express their frustrations following the delay. One user wrote, “8:08pm, train is still delayed. Stop lying,” while another asked, “Before Fare increase, TEL already start to have problem and delayed…After Fare increase, even more worse, more problem and more delays…TEL is New and the Latest MRT Line. So fast start to have problem already. Signal Fault and Delay how many times already?” A third user commented, “Terrible”.
