68yo man dies after falling onto track at Segar LRT station; train services resume after 4 hours

SINGAPORE:  A 68-year-old man died after falling onto the track at Segar LRT station on the morning of 18 May 2026, causing a disruption to train services on the Bukit Panjang LRT line for about four hours.

According to local Mandarin daily Lianhe Zaobao, police said they received a call for assistance at about 5.50am.

Investigations showed that the man was seen falling onto the track in front of an oncoming train at about 5am.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident at about 6.25am. The man was pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic.

Police said they do not suspect foul play. Investigations are ongoing.

Service disruption on Bukit Panjang LRT line

Train operator SMRT first announced the disruption in a Facebook post at 6.52am, saying services were affected “due to a track intrusion”.

In a later update at 7.08am, SMRT said a man had been seen trespassing onto the track near Segar station at about 5am. The post was later updated to state that a man “was seen to have fallen onto the track”.

“Train services between the Petir and Senja stations, in both directions, were temporarily suspended to allow the police safe access to the tracks for investigations,” SMRT said.

At 10.17am, SMRT announced that train services between Senja and Petir stations had resumed in both directions. Free regular bus and bridging bus services were also discontinued following the resumption of operations.

SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai said the operator’s Care Team had contacted the victim’s family.

“Our Care Team has reached out to the family during this difficult time. We thank commuters for their patience and understanding,” Lam said.

He added that SMRT would continue assisting police with investigations.

Family members seen at station

A long queue for bridging bus services was seen at Bukit Panjang bus interchange at around 8.30am as commuters faced delays during the morning peak period.

According to Zaobao, at least five police vehicles and one ambulance were present at Segar station at about 9.30am while officers handled the incident.

Reporters witnessed police officers and personnel from a funeral services company carrying the victim’s body out of the station in a body bag.

A woman believed to be the victim’s wife was later seen being wheeled out of the station on a stretcher at about 9.47am. She covered her face with one hand and appeared visibly distressed.

Two police officers were also seen accompanying a man believed to be the victim’s son out of the station. One officer appeared to comfort him by patting him on the shoulder.

Police investigations into the incident are continuing.

Commuter frustration on the ground

Earlier, some commuters expressed frustration over the handling of the incident.

One commenter on SMRT's Facebook post said there were no staff on the ground to provide clear directions, and that a bus driver had directed passengers towards a service that terminated at Choa Chu Kang rather than their intended destination. The commuter said the confusion cost approximately 20 minutes of travel time.

Another commuter noted that bus service 976 was not in operation at that early hour.

SMRT responded to both comments, apologising for the inconvenience and advising commuters to look out for bus stops marked with blinker lights where free bridging bus services were available.

About the BPLRT system

The BPLRT is an 8-kilometre automated light rail system connecting residential estates in Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang to the North-South and Downtown Lines.

The LTA announced in November 2024 that approximately 88 per cent of renewal works on the BPLRT system had been completed. The full programme of renewal works is scheduled for completion by the fourth quarter of 2026.