Transport operator SMRT has announced that there will be no train service on the East-West Line (EWL) between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations on Friday (27 Sept).

The update, posted on SMRT’s Facebook page at 9:53 PM, also informed commuters that free regular and bridging bus services are available to facilitate travel during the disruption.

Initially, SMRT had considered operating a shuttle train service between the two stations by expediting repairs on one of the tracks.

However, it was determined that running a shuttle would slow down repairs on the adjacent damaged rail, as work could not proceed while the shuttle was in operation.

On balance, SMRT decided to prioritise repair work to expedite the full restoration of train services. “It is better to prioritise repair and expedite restoring full service earlier, rather than run a 20-minute shuttle between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations,” SMRT said in its statement.

The company is now targeting to resume full service by Monday, 30 September 2024. Running the shuttle train could have risked delaying the full restoration by several days, SMRT noted.

This means the disruption will lead to its third day following a serious incident on Wednesday (25 Sep) where a defective axle box on a first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) train caused the derailment of one bogie—a structure beneath the train carriage that holds its wheels—between Dover and Clementi stations.

As a result, the faulty train, which had been in service for over 35 years, severely damaged 1.6km of track, leading to 34 rail breaks, including cracks and chips.

Commuters are advised to use the available bus services as an alternative for travel between Jurong East and Buona Vista until full train services are restored. SMRT is working to complete repairs as soon as possible to minimise further

Train services along the East-West Line between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations remain severely disrupted, with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) warning that repairs may take several days following a serious incident on 25 September 2024.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, 26 September, LTA provided an update on the situation, confirming that extensive damage to the tracks and equipment had been discovered, resulting in prolonged disruptions for commuters.

Rail operator SMRT, with LTA’s support, is working continuously to restore services, aiming for partial resumption by 27 September.

The disruption, which is now the second-longest in Singapore’s rail history, has affected approximately 874,000 commuters over two days.

According to LTA’s Facebook post, a defective axle box on a first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) train caused the derailment of one bogie—a structure beneath the train carriage that holds its wheels—between Dover and Clementi stations.

As a result, the faulty train, which had been in service for over 35 years, severely damaged 1.6km of track, leading to 34 rail breaks, including cracks and chips.

LTA’s post detailed the additional damage caused by the incident, which included three point machines—critical devices used to switch trains between different tracks—sections of the third rail, which powers the trains, as well as power cables and rail clips.

The damage to the tracks was so severe that engineers have been working overnight since the accident to address the issues.

It is said that LTA and SMRT are making every effort to restore services. However, the Facebook post reiterated that train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista would not resume in either direction on 26 September.

Instead, a partial shuttle train service on the less severely damaged eastbound track is expected to begin on 27 September, running every 20 minutes.

SMRT has deployed 80 double-deck buses to provide free bridging services between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations in both directions, offering some relief to the many affected commuters.

To maintain service reliability and safety, all KHI trains currently in operation have undergone rigorous checks, specifically on their axle boxes, which passed the required functionality tests.

This move was taken to prevent further disruptions, with LTA emphasizing that restoring full services remains the top priority.

Besides the shuttle service between Jurong East and Buona Vista, SMRT has implemented additional shuttle train services between Buona Vista and Queenstown stations and Jurong East and Boon Lay stations.

In addition, 620 personnel from LTA, SMRT, SBS Transit, Tower Transit, and police officers were on-site to assist with managing the crowds, particularly during peak hours on 26 September.

This unprecedented incident, which LTA confirmed is the first of its kind in Singapore’s rail history, has caused widespread inconvenience.

Commuters who rely on the East-West Line are being encouraged to make alternative travel arrangements until full services are restored. They are also urged to follow announcements from LTA and SMRT closely, while shuttle services remain in place to mitigate the disruption.