Two train breakdown incidents hit the North-South Line (NSL) barely a week after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) published a fake news claiming that reliability has increased two-fold.
LTA uses 3-month result: Train reliability improved two-fold
On May 24, the LTA published the fake news using a 3-month period to measure rail reliability when the measurement should instead measure on a yearly period. LTA said the quarterly result of 2017, when compared to a year ago, saw reliability increased “two-fold”.
Four days later yesterday (May 28), there was no train service between Marina Bay and Marina South Pier for around three hours due to a signalling fault. A second breakdown incident happened today (May 29) at around 6pm, when public transport operator SMRT issued a statement warning commuters to add 20 minutes to travelling time because of a signalling fault affecting stations between Choa Chu Kang and Jurong East. Both incidents caused severe congestion and overcrowding in trains running along the NSL.
SMRT is currently using a new signalling system that is not fully operational. Earlier last week, SMRT told commuters to “expect delays due to glitches”. Unlike his predecessor Lui Tuck Yew, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan has stopped commenting on train breakdown incidents in a bid to protect his political reputation.
SMRT: New signalling system not in full working condition, expect glitch