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The Star
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Star
Singapore rail operator to pay lower fine of S$2.4m for line disruption; must invest at least S$600k to boost reliability
SINGAPORE: Rail operator SMRT will pay a lower fine of S$2.4 million (US$1.87 million) for a major six-day disruption on the East-West Line in September 2024, after it submitted representations to the Land Transport Authority (LTA). This is down from the financial penalty of S$3 million that LTA intended to hand out in June when the investigation findings into the incident were released. Announcing the updated penalty in a statement on July 25, LTA said the penalty will go to the Public Transport Fund to help lower-income families with their public transport expenditures. The authority added that it had directed SMRT to invest a minimum of S$600,000 to strengthen its capabilities, and address areas for improvement from the incident, so as to improve service reliability. 'In reaching this decision, LTA took into consideration the considerable challenges SMRT had faced in planning and executing their overhaul regime for the Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) trains, particularly in procuring the necessary spare parts for the overhaul due to global supply chain disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.' The incident, which involved a faulty part on a first-generation KHI train, downed MRT services between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations and affected about one in six train trips daily from Sept 25 to 30 in 2024. An LTA spokesperson told The Straits Times that SMRT will need to channel S$600,000 towards improving its capabilities within a year, and submit a declaration and documented proof of this. In a Facebook post shortly after LTA's statement, SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai said the operator will strengthen its direct engagement with original equipment manufacturers of trains and systems. The operator will also deepen its technical and engineering expertise through closer collaboration with these companies. On LTA's directive to invest a minimum of S$600,000 in beefing up its capabilities, Lam said the development and upskilling of its workforce have long been SMRT's priorities. In addition, the operator will continue supporting the secondment of LTA engineers to SMRT – an initiative introduced in 2018. It will also work closely with LTA and Alstom, the manufacturer of the new R151 trains, to roll out the fleet progressively. By 2026, there will be 106 R151 trains on the North-South and East-West lines. As at June 29, 61 of these trains were in service. The last of the KHI trains will be phased out by September. Investigations into the disruption showed that SMRT had extended the interval between overhauls for the faulty train without a detailed engineering and risk assessment. On its part, the operator had flagged supply chain disruptions arising from the pandemic, which delayed the delivery of new trains meant to replace the first-generation models and spare parts needed for overhauls. LTA had originally notified SMRT of its intention to impose the S$3 million penalty on May 30, and gave the operator two weeks to submit its representations. SMRT did so on June 6. While the details of SMRT's submission were not disclosed, representations may include reasons why the operator believes it should not be penalised as well as other applicable mitigating factors. LTA reviewed SMRT's representations before a notice of the penalty was sent to the rail operator on July 25. SMRT has 14 days to appeal to the transport minister if it wishes. If that happens, the final decision lies with the minister, who can opt to reject the appeal, or allow it and change LTA's decision. Responding to ST's query, Lam did not say if SMRT would lodge an appeal with Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow. But he said the company had received LTA's notice to impose the penalty and noted that LTA had considered its representations. LTA reiterated that Singapore's rail system continues to be one of the most reliable worldwide. Since 2019, the mean kilometres between failure of the MRT network has remained above the one million train-km target, it noted. This means MRT trains travelled for more than one million kilometres between delays of more than five minutes. The revised S$2.4 million penalty is the second-highest to be levied on a rail operator, after the S$5.4 million fine that SMRT incurred over a 2015 disruption that crippled the entire North-South and East-West lines for more than two hours during the evening peak period. In June, LTA said a S$3 million penalty for the September 2024 disruption was 'proportionate' to the circumstances surrounding the incident. The authority said it also considered the cost that SMRT had borne from the repairs, and from providing free bus and shuttle train services at the affected stations. Investigations pointed to degraded grease as the likely cause of the incident. This led to a faulty part of the train's undercarriage falling out on the morning of Sept 25, 2024. The part – an axle box, which holds the train's wheels to the axle, a rod connecting a pair of wheels – was dislodged near Dover station while the train was being withdrawn from service to Ulu Pandan Depot. This caused one of the train's 12 bogies – a structure below the train carriage – to derail. The six-carriage train could continue travelling, as the other 11 bogies remained on the rails. But the derailed portion of the third carriage caused extensive damage to 2.55km of track and trackside equipment, such as power cables and the third rail, which supplies power to trains. Associate Professor Walter Theseira, a transport economist at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, told ST that in the context of rail operations, the $600,000 requirement for improvements is not a very significant amount. It could fund reviews and process improvements, but would not suffice for any substantial engineering work. He also said new trains are 'not a cure for reliability by themselves', as they will result in better reliability only after teething issues have been sorted out. Prof Theseira also believes LTA should examine its own capability to judge the quality of a maintenance regime. 'While the operator is on the ground and has first-hand knowledge, it may also be that the regulator should have a well-formed second opinion.' - The Straits Times/ANN
CNA
5 days ago
- Automotive
- CNA
East-West Line disruption: LTA cuts SMRT's fine to S$2.4 million; amount to go to Public Transport Fund
SINGAPORE: Public transport operator SMRT's S$3 million (US$2.34 million) fine imposed for last year's East-West Line train service disruption has been cut to S$2.4 million, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Friday (Jul 25). The authority has also directed SMRT to invest a minimum of S$600,000 to strengthen its capabilities and address areas of improvement from the incident to boost service reliability for commuters. The S$2.4 million penalty will go to the Public Transport Fund to help lower-income families with their public transport expenses. Last month, LTA announced it would slap SMRT with a S$3 million fine after an investigation into last September's six-day train disruption found lapses - including maintenance intervals being extended beyond stipulations - in part due to delays on new train arrivals caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The train in the incident was among 66 in SMRT's first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) fleet, which were rolled out in the late 1980s. They were to be progressively replaced by new Movia trains starting from 2021, but due to the pandemic, there was a delay of 1.5 years, and the first Movia train was only handed over in 2023. SMRT was required to continue carrying out regular maintenance for the KHI trains still in service, but by the time of the incident last September, only 18 KHI trains had been overhauled, with the train in the incident not among them. "In reaching this decision, LTA took into consideration the considerable challenges SMRT had faced in planning and executing their overhaul regime for the KHI trains, particularly in procuring the necessary spare parts for the overhaul due to global supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," LTA said on Friday. "Singapore's rail system continues to be one of the most reliable rail systems in the world. Since 2019, the mean kilometres between failure (MKBF) of our MRT network has remained above the one million train-km target." The authority added that it will continue to work closely with tripartite partners to maintain the reliability of Singapore's rail system and provide smooth and convenient rail journeys for commuters. SMRT may appeal Friday's decision to the Minister for Transport, who will either reject the appeal and confirm LTA's decision, or allow the appeal and substitute or vary LTA's decision. The Minister's decision on the appeal is final. On Friday, SMRT's President Lam Sheau Kai noted LTA's directive for it to invest in its capabilities. "Workforce development and upskilling have long been our core priorities for SMRT, and this directive is fully aligned with our ongoing commitment to invest in our staff," he wrote in a Facebook post. On the challenges SMRT faced in overhauling the old KHI trains, Mr Lam added: "Had the pandemic not occurred, all KHI trains would have been replaced by the new (Movia) R151 trains as planned, and the incident might have been prevented. "He added that SMRT will strengthen its direct engagement with original equipment manufacturers of trains and systems, and deepen its technical and engineering expertise through closer collaboration with these partners. It will also work closely with LTA and train manufacturer Alstom to progressively roll out its new fleet of Movia trains and fully phase out the KHI trains by this September, Mr Lam said.
Straits Times
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Over half of 106 new MRT trains added to North-South, East-West lines; fleet completion by 2026
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE - More than half of the 106 latest seventh-generation MRT trains slated for the North-South and East-West lines (NSEWL) lines have entered service, two years after the first unit was deployed. As at June 29, 61 Alstom Movia R151 trains have entered service, a spokesperson for the Land Transport Authority (LTA) told The Straits Times. With three new trains being introduced monthly since October 2024, up from two per month in 2023, the train fleet renewal is expected to be complete by 2026. The first R151 trains entered service in June 2023. The new trains replace the first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industry (KHI) trains. In September 2024, the failure of a KHI train crippled service along a stretch of the East-West Line for six days, in one of the worst disruptions in Singapore's rail history. Transport operator SMRT, which runs the line, was fined $3 million by the LTA. The delay in new train delivery, stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic, was cited by SMRT as a reason for the KHI trains remaining in use and the operator extending the interval between overhauls beyond the manufacturer's requirement. The LTA said that there are 16 KHI trains in service on the NSEWL. By September, these trains will be phased out, according to a post by SMRT on its Facebook page on June 23. Designed in Germany, the new R151 trains are assembled in Changchun, China. They have built-in condition monitoring capabilities and diagnostic systems that can pick up faults early and track the performance of various systems in real time. The cars have bigger open spaces to increase passenger capacity while maintaining the number of seats. Other upgrades on board include wider windows and perch seats for passengers. The first 66 of the 106 trains were ordered in 2018 at the cost of $1.2 billion to replace the first-generation KHI trains. Another 40 trains, costing $337.8 million, were bought in 2020 to replace now-retired second-generation Siemens and third-generation Kawasaki-Nippon Sharyo trains. Alongside the KHI trains (introduced in 1987) and the R151, three other generations of trains, added between 2011 and 2018, are also operating on the NSEWL. These were manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and CSR Qingdao Sifang. They bring the NSEWL total fleet to 169 trains. Work to renew the NSEWL started in 2012. Valued at $2.6 billion, the refurbishment included not only new trains but also a new signalling system that allows the trains to run at shorter intervals, upgraded power rails that supply electricity to the trains, and a track circuit system capable of detecting rail defects. LTA said that the improvements have boosted the NSEWL's reliability, captured by the lines' Mean Kilometres Between Failure (MKBF), which is the reliability benchmark used for subways globally. The authority added that since 2019, the NSEWL's MKBF has been over a million train-km between delays of more than five minutes, compared with 70,000 train-km for the North-South line and 60,000 train-km for the East-West line in 2012. In LTA's latest rail reliability report, covering up to September 2024, the MKBF for the East-West MRT line, after accounting for the major service disruption, stood at 2.03 million train-km, down from 3.36 million train-km in 2023.
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@
