Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan broke his predecessor’s record today (Nov 16) by registering the 5th train breakdown along the North-East Line (NEL) during the evening peak hours. A train broke down at the busy interchange of Clark Quay station at 6.20pm, causing massive traffic jam and overcrowding at the popular tourist spot.
Like the dishonest SMRT’s method of operation, SBS Transit sent out numerous inaccurate information of the delay with the first announcement being a 10 minute, followed by a notice of 15 minute. The actual delay was over an hour with services resumed at only 7.53pm. Frustrated passengers felt cheated for waiting numerous repetitive “10 minutes” because of SBS Transit’s wrong notification.
The entire NEL was affected, causing estimated economic losses running to tens of millions.
According to Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, Singapore’s railway system is unable to cope with the population growth and the power station is unable to meet demand from the numerous frequency of trains.