S$3 Million Fine for SMRT After Major Singapore Train Disruption

Singapore's SMRT Faces S$3 Million Fine After East-West Line Disruption Singapore's public transport system was thrown into chaos last September when a six-day disruption hit the East-West Line, causing significant inconvenience to commuters. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has now released a report detailing the incident and imposing a hefty S$3 million fine on SMRT, the operator responsible. The LTA report points to degraded grease within the axle box of one of SMRT's trains as the likely culprit. This resulted in the axle box dislodging, leading to extensive damage across more than two kilometers of track. The disruption affected services between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations. "The degraded grease in the axle box is the likely cause," stated the LTA report. "However, a definitive root cause cannot be established due to the extent of damage to the parts collected after the incident." The incident also highlighted issues with the maintenance of SMRT's older fleet. The train involved was part of SMRT’s 66 first-generation KHI fleet from the late 1980s, and it had exceeded its stipulated maintenance requirement of 500,000km. The LTA suggests that a more timely overhaul might have prevented the incident. While the full extent of the root cause remains unclear due to damage to the train parts, the S$3 million fine serves as a strong reminder of the importance of rigorous maintenance and safety standards in Singapore's public transport system. The incident underscores the need for timely overhauls and proactive maintenance to prevent future disruptions and ensure the safety and reliability of the network.