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Online Citizen
03-06-2025
- Business
- Online Citizen
SMRT to be fined S$3 million over maintenance and system lapses in 2024 East-West Line disruption
SMRT will be fined S$3 million following a six-day disruption on the East-West Line in September 2024. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced the penalty on 3 June 2025, citing serious lapses in maintenance practices and system response. On 25 September 2024, a key component known as an axle box dropped from a train travelling between Dover and Clementi MRT stations. This dislodgement caused the bogie—an undercarriage structure with wheels—to come off the rail, damaging the tracks and forcing a major service disruption. Nine stations between Boon Lay and Queenstown were affected, with normal service only resuming six days later on 1 October 2024. About 500,000 of the 2.8 million daily journeys were disrupted each day. Ageing fleet and delayed replacement The train involved was part of SMRT's first-generation KHI fleet, in operation since the late 1980s. These trains were due to be replaced by newer Movia models, with full handover originally scheduled by March 2024. However, due to delays from the COVID-19 pandemic, the first Movia train was only delivered in May 2023, over a year behind schedule. As a result, SMRT continued to operate some older trains, including the one involved in the incident. LTA found that the failed train had not undergone a scheduled overhaul despite being overdue. While overhauls are required every 500,000km, SMRT extended this interval twice—first to 575,000km in August 2022, then to 750,000km in August 2024. At the time of the incident, the train had clocked 690,000km since its last overhaul in 2018. By then, only 18 of the 66 KHI trains had been overhauled. The train involved was not among them. SMRT extended these intervals based on internal analyses and fleet performance data. However, LTA said no detailed engineering risk assessment was carried out regarding the axle box overhaul interval. Axle box damage and root cause analysis Investigators could not determine the precise cause of the axle box failure as the components were too severely burnt and damaged. These included the axle box itself, axle bearings, and chevron springs—critical parts within the bogie assembly. Nonetheless, LTA concluded that the likely cause was degraded grease inside the axle box. Grease degradation increases friction, which in turn accelerates wear and tear on components, potentially causing overheating. High heat and burnt materials found along tracks Burnt rubber and metal fragments from the chevron springs were discovered along the train's travel path. This suggests the axle box had overheated to the point of igniting surrounding rubber components. The degraded grease likely contributed to the axle box becoming dislodged, said LTA. The train's third carriage bogie came off the tracks, damaging a 2.55km stretch and causing 46 rail breaks. Warning system failure contributed to delay in response On the morning of the incident, SMRT's Hot Axle Box Detection system recorded a temperature spike—118 degrees Celsius compared to the usual 30–65 degrees Celsius range. This system uses infrared sensors to detect axle box heat and RFID tags to identify affected trains. However, due to a system error, the train's ID was not detected. Instead, a 'Null ID' appeared. The controller overseeing the system mistook the alert for a false warning and did not act on it. The Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) said this issue had occurred previously but was not resolved. Lapses in procedures and response protocols TSIB noted that SMRT's operational procedures regarding the Hotbox system were 'not robust enough'. There was no escalation protocol for unidentified warnings, leading to possible staff desensitisation to repeated false alerts. Had the warning been addressed, the train could have been withdrawn before the axle box dislodged. Both LTA and TSIB concluded that the incident could likely have been prevented with proper maintenance and a timely response to the warning. Cost and consequences of disruption The six-day disruption required extensive repair and recovery efforts. SMRT provided free travel for affected passengers, including bridging buses, shuttle train services, and waived fares at Jurong East and Buona Vista stations. The total cost of SMRT's service recovery exceeded S$10 million. Despite the high costs already incurred by SMRT, LTA determined the fine was warranted given the serious operational lapses. The S$3 million fine will be channelled to the Public Transport Fund, which supports lower-income households with transport costs. LTA noted that SMRT will have the opportunity to appeal the fine to the Minister for Transport. The authority said its enforcement action considered both the operational failures and SMRT's efforts at service recovery. TSIB and LTA both emphasised the need for stricter adherence to maintenance schedules and more resilient fault detection procedures to prevent future incidents. SMRT: Pandemic-related delays and ageing assets posed challenges to overhaul and train replacement efforts SMRT acknowledged LTA's findings in a Facebook post on Tuesday, affirming its commitment to safety and operational excellence. The operator emphasised that safety remains its top priority, alongside balancing service reliability and cost-effectiveness. SMRT cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a major factor in disrupting train and spare part deliveries, which affected overhaul timelines. Despite continued regular maintenance, these delays hindered the overhaul of first-generation trains post-2018. SMRT stated it is working closely with LTA to renew assets, improve maintenance, and expedite new train commissioning, aiming to retire all first-generation trains by end-September 2025. The operator added it remains committed to continuous improvement, guided by Kaizen principles, to strengthen system resilience.
AsiaOne
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- AsiaOne
East-West Line disruption: SMRT to be fined $3m for September 2024 incident, Singapore News
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Tuesday (June 3) that it intends to impose a $3 million fine on SMRT after train services were disrupted on the East-West line (EWL) in September last year. On Sep 25, a dislodged axle box caused caused the wheels of an SMRT train carriage plying the EWL to fall off the tracks, damaging the tracks between Dover MRT station and Ulu Pandan Depot. Services were disrupted for six days following the incident as repair works went on, with full services being resumed in October that year. During the period where train services were affected, SMRT had provided free bridging bus and regular bus services, as well as shuttle train services at the impacted stations. Travel fees for passengers alighting at Jurong East and Buona Vista stations were also waived. These provisions by the SMRT were taken into consideration in determining the $3 million penalty, according to the LTA. The Authority explained that the quantum also weighed in the fact that SMRT had borne the cost of repairs, bringing SMRT's total expenditure on the incident over $10 million. Lower-income families will stand to gain from this penalty, as the amount collected will go towards the Public Transport Fund to assist with their public transport expenditure. Degraded grease suspected to be cause of failure Investigations suggest that the cause of the incident stemmed from degraded grease in the axle box, according to the LTA. Significant wear and tear was placed on the axle bearings as a result, which in turn caused overheating and the eventual failure. This theory is supported by the burnt rubber and metal pieces found along the train's path, which suggests that the axle box was hot enough to burn the rubber around it, causing the box to dislodge. SMRT's hot axle box detection system (HABDS) also noted that a box had reached 118 deg C, although an error meant that staff could not determine which box was overheating past its usual range of 30 to 65 degrees Celsius. Delays in maintenance The train in the incident, part of the first generation of 66 Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) trains, was set to be replaced by the new Movia trains that were supposed to be in SMRT's possession by March 2024. However, Covid-19 struck, resulting in a 1 1/2 year delay in the move to Movia and a shortage of materials for repairs. KHI trains are supposed to undergo an overhaul every 500,000km travelled and the train involved in the incident was due for an overhaul in 2018, and 38 trains that passed the 500,000km mark. Due to the delays and the shortage of materials, however, the overhaul of the said train was pushed further after SMRT noted the fleet's reliability and capabilities. SMRT then extended the overhaul interval for the incident train on two separate occasions, bringing the limit up to 575,000km in August 2022 and 750,000km in August 2024. As Movia trains came in from May 2023, KHI trains were gradually replaced and overhauled -- by September 2024, 18 had been overhauled excluding the train involved in the incident. Regular preventive maintenance was conducted by SMRT on the train on Sep 10, 2024, but no abnormalities were detected with its axle box at the time. Learning from disaster Following the incident on the EWL, SMRT withdrew all KHI trains that had exceeded 500,000km of mileage in order for them to undergo an overhaul before they were returned to service. An accelerated delivery programme has also been put in place by the LTA for Movia trains to mitigate delays from Covid-19. KHI trains will also be decommissioned by the third quarter of 2025. SMRT has also consulted LTA to utilise data analytics for earlier detection when it comes to abnormal axle box temperatures, and LTA also intends to have greater oversight of operators' asset and maintenance management. SMRT, LTA, and the National Transport Workers' Union have also set up a tripartite Rail Safety and Reliability Review Workgroup to review and enhance rail ecosystems and engaged metro operators in Guangzhou and Taipei for mutual learning. The Ministry of Transport's Committee of Supply 2025 also allocated an additional $1 billion by the government to enhance rail asset management and rail workforce capabilities as well, according to the LTA. [[nid:714655]] khooyihang@
Qatar Tribune
10-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar Airways extends flight suspension to several cities in Pakistan, India
DOHA: Qatar Airways has announced an extension of its temporary suspension of flights to and from several cities in Pakistan and India, citing tensions between the two countries. The airline shared the update via its official social media platforms, stating that operational changes have been made affecting services between Doha and specific destinations in India and Pakistan. Flights departing from Doha to the Pakistani cities of Karachi (KHI), Lahore (LHE), Islamabad (ISB), Multan (MUX), Peshawar (PEW), and Sialkot (SKT), as well as to Amritsar (ATQ) in India, scheduled for May 10, 11, and 12, have been cancelled. Passenger safety and security remain its highest priority, the airline stated. For updated travel schedules, visit
