Minister 'disappointed' over train disruptions
Lui Tuck Yew wants operator to get back to him on spate of breakdowns
By Royston Sim, The Straits Times, 24 Jan 2014
A RECENT spate of train disruptions has left Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew disappointed and concerned, and he told SMRT so yesterday.
He asked the rail operator's chiefs to get to the bottom of the breakdowns, check how it dealt with affected commuters, and let him know next week the outcome of their investigations and the actions taken.
"I share the frustrations of train commuters affected by these incidents, and I empathise with them on the anxiety and uncertainty that they may experience," he said yesterday, following the latest breakdown on Wednesday night.
"I am also very concerned about SMRT's service recovery efforts, particularly in reaching out to affected commuters promptly and keeping them updated during these incidents."
There have been several incidents recently. Among them:
- On Wednesday night, an error by a train driver led to an hour-long disruption on the East-West Line.
- On Monday morning, a signal fault caused a train to stall and affected 19,000 North-South Line commuters during the rush hour.
- And on Jan 11, some commuters had to get off their train and walk on the tracks after a section of the track between Kranji and Yew Tee stations lost traction power.
Mr Lui was briefed on ongoing investigations when he met SMRT chief executive Desmond Kuek and senior management yesterday.
He urged them to identify the root causes quickly and determine if the incidents resulted from technical or procedural shortcomings.
In a statement, the Transport Ministry said Mr Kuek assured Mr Lui that SMRT would do its best to step up checks to minimise service disruptions and improve its response to such incidents.SMRT spokesman Patrick Nathan said last night that the company will focus on reducing its shortcomings to make the system safer and more reliable.
Wednesday's breakdown occurred after a train driver went past a signal point without authorisation at 10.12pm.
Another SMRT spokesman, Ms Alina Boey, said his action caused safety measures to kick in, disrupting service between Tanah Merah and Pasir Ris stations.
Engineers were sent to rectify the fault and free shuttle buses were provided to affected commuters.
The engineers had to be satisfied that everything was in order before service could resume.
Service resumed at 11.19pm. Ms Boey apologised to all the affected passengers.
She said SMRT viewed any breach of operational protocol seriously and the driver - who is experienced - faces disciplinary action.
EMPATHY AND CONCERN
I share the frustrations of train commuters affected by these incidents, and I empathise with them
on the anxiety and uncertainty that they may experience. I am also very concerned about SMRT's service recovery efforts, particularly in reaching out to affected commuters promptly and keeping them updated during these incidents.
Related