Multiple Train Disruptions Hit Singapore’s Rail Network in Early 2025, Raising Reliability Concerns

The Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) network has experienced a series of disruptions in early January 2025, with the latest incident affecting the North-South Line during evening peak hours on January 10th. This follows three separate disruptions on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) that occurred within a week between late December 2024 and early January 2025.

The most recent disruption on the North-South Line caused delays between Marina South Pier and Bishan stations during the evening rush hour. SMRT engineers worked to remove the stalled train and progressively restore services to minimize impact on commuters.

The TEL disruptions, which occurred on December 27, December 29, and January 2, were caused by different technical issues. The first incident involved a signaling fault that forced multiple trains to operate under manual control at reduced speeds of 18kph. The second disruption was attributed to intermittent brake faults on a departing train, while the third incident occurred when a train approaching Orchard station triggered its emergency brake system.

SMRT, the Land Transport Authority (LTA), and French train maker Alstom are currently conducting thorough investigations into these incidents. Preliminary findings suggest that the December 29 disruption may have been caused by a component fault within the train. Despite these issues, train services continued to operate in both directions, though commuters were advised to plan for additional travel time of 10 to 15 minutes.

These recent disruptions come in the wake of a major incident on the East-West Line that occurred in September 2024, which was one of the longest service disruptions in Singapore’s railway history. That incident, caused by a train derailment, affected approximately 2.1 million passengers and required extensive repairs to damaged track segments.

The frequency of these disruptions has sparked discussions about the reliability of Singapore’s rail network. However, data shows that Singapore’s MRT system has significantly improved its reliability over the past decade and now outperforms some other major Asian metro systems in terms of mean kilometers between failure (MKBF).

To address peak hour congestion, LTA has announced an expansion of the Travel Smart Journeys (TSJ) initiative starting January 2, 2025. The program will provide enhanced incentives for commuters in the north-east region to adjust their morning commute times outside peak periods.

SMRT maintains that ensuring commuter safety remains their top priority while working to minimize service disruptions. The organization continues to implement various measures to improve system reliability and respond quickly to technical issues when they arise