'Precautionary measure': SBS Transit reduces trains on NEL during morning peak to monitor system

Thirty-five MRT trains instead of the regular number of 40 have been plying the North East Line (NEL) during morning peak hours in recent weeks, as a precautionary measure by rail operator SBS Transit.

Mrs Grace Wu, spokeswoman for SBS Transit, said on Aug 29 that this is meant to "ensure stable power supply" and to allow for "closer monitoring" of the system, following the power supply repair works that were carried out on the NEL earlier in August.

"While we have noticed more crowding at certain stations during this period, commuters have been able to continue their journeys without significant disruption," she said.

She said regular deployment of trains will resume some time next week, adding that the operator seeks commuters' patience and understanding during this temporary adjustment.

This comes after two power faults downed services on the line on Aug 12 and Aug 15.

On Aug 12, a surge in electricity damaged one of two switchboards at a substation in the NEL depot in Sengkang, which in turn tripped the power supply from the depot and disrupted train services on that line for around three hours.

The Sengkang-Punggol LRT was more badly affected by the power trip, with services resuming fully 10 hours later.

On Aug 15, a power cable fault between Farmway and Kupang stations led to a four-hour outage across all 29 stations on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT network.

Repairs to the switchboard and its faulty voltage transformer - which converts high voltage levels to lower and safer ones - were completed on Aug 16.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SBS Transit said in a statement on Aug 16 that a secondary power supply source from SP Power Grid will be rolled out by the fourth quarter of 2025 as part of the Sengkang Depot expansion works.

Several commuters told The Straits Times that from Aug 16 onwards, they had experienced longer waits for NEL trains from 7.15am to 9am, with some needing to miss several packed trains before they could board one.

Human resources business partner Janus Tan, 41, who takes NEL trains - often on weekday mornings from Sengkang to Farrer Park - said he felt frustrated about the overcrowding situation that had worsened recently.

During the week of Aug 18, he had observed longer intervals of around five minutes between each train's arrival - compared with the regular duration of three minutes.

When Mr Tan boarded a train at around 7.40am that week, it was more packed - leaving him only with standing room, close to the train door - whereas he usually would be able to move into the cabin easily.

"I feel confused over the lack of communication regarding this, especially when it is so blatantly obvious that something was wrong," he said.

While student Bryan Yeo, 25, was able to get on the first train that arrived at Buangkok at around 8am over the past week, the "extremely crowded" trains made it impossible for other passengers to board the same train subsequently at Hougang and Kovan stations.

Mr Yeo observed that the trains were almost fully packed at Sengkang, which was not the norm prior to the breakdowns in mid-August.

Usually, he added, most people would be able to get on the first train that arrived at Hougang and Kovan stations, as there would still be some standing space.

Mr Yeo said he was upset that there was no clarification from the authorities about this situation.