SMRT not '100 per cent certain' what caused line disruption
Train operator SMRT and the Land Transport Authority held a joint press conference on Wednesday (July 8) to address the severe train disruption on Tuesday evening.
SMRT chief executive Desmond Kuek and LTA chief executive Chew Men Leong both apologised for the breakdown of the North-South and East-West Lines. It is the first time both lines are disrupted together and effectively the worst MRT rail disruption to date.
SMRT's managing director of trains Lee Ling Wee said SMRT is not "100 per cent certain" of what went wrong, but narrowed it to three sources: trains, track, or power substation.
He has since ruled out trains.
In an investigation on Tuesday night, SMRT found and rectified three faults: damaged cable insulation, water leakage at a tunnel, and faulty relay system at a power substation.
While it is not clear if these faults resulted in a "system-wide" disruption, Mr Kuek said train services have been running smoothly on Wednesday morning.
He also said that there is still room for improvement for train services in Singapore.
"It is a stark reminder that the journey to bringing about a much higher order of reliability and assurance is a difficult one but we're committed to doing so," said Mr Kuek.
Mr Chew assured Singaporeans that both LTA and SMRT will not rest until they are able to provide commuters with safe, comfortable and reliable train rides.
He said: "I think the work will not stop. There is a lot that we'll have to do, that SMRT would continue to have to do,"
"We're sparing no effort on the part of SMRT as well as LTA."
Read the full report in our print edition on July 9.
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