Signalling system fault between Paya Lebar and Marymount stations causes backlog on Feb 11

In a Facebook post on Feb 11, SMRT said a signalling system fault occurred between Paya Lebar and Marymount stations after 8am.

It affected train operations across eight stations.

"The fault caused trains to stop, and power to the affected sector was tripped. Power was restored within five minutes, and train movement resumed at 8.20 am."

However, the Central Automatic Train System was sluggish, affecting the ability of controllers to manage train movements efficiently.

As a result, it took approximately 30 minutes for the entire Circle Line to return to normal service.

During the morning peak, key interchange stations such as Serangoon, Buona Vista, Botanic Gardens and Bishan typically require one to two trains to clear crowds.

But it took three trains to ease congestion caused by this morning's delay.

In response, station staff were deployed to assist commuters and public announcements were made at affected stations.

SMRT explained that a software patch has been developed to address this issue and is scheduled for installation on Saturday.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused to commuters."