Jeffrey Siow orders review of LRT safety measures as platform screen doors remain unfeasible

SINGAPORE: Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow has ordered the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and public transport operators to re-examine all available options to strengthen safety at Light Rail Transit (LRT) stations following the fatal incident at Segar LRT station in May, while maintaining that platform screen doors remain impractical for the existing LRT network because of engineering constraints.

In a written Parliamentary reply dated 7 July 2026, Siow said the Government had carefully considered installing platform screen doors across the existing LRT system but concluded that the technical challenges made the proposal unfeasible.

Instead, the authorities introduced fixed platform barriers and track intrusion detection technologies to reduce the risk of commuters falling onto the tracks.

Responding to parliamentary questions filed by Bukit Panjang MP Liang Eng Hwa and Holland-Bukit Timah MP Edward Chia Bing Hui, Siow also announced a fresh review of alternative solutions, including manually operated platform screen doors that do not require synchronisation with train doors and automated rope barriers proposed by Chia.

"We should not assume that what was not feasible before will remain infeasible forever," Siow said.

Minister orders fresh review of safety measures

Siow described the Segar LRT station incident as "a tragedy" and extended his condolences to the victim's family.

"I know Edward Chia, who is the family's Member of Parliament, has been in close contact with them, and I thank him for this. SMRT has also been in contact with the family and is rendering support during this very difficult time."

He said investigations into the incident were still ongoing and declined to discuss case-specific details but will  address the broader questions MPs raised on safety of public transport system.

Siow stressed that safety remained the foundation of Singapore's public transport system and that trains were designed to stop completely whenever anomalies were detected before services resumed.

Platform screen doors remain unfeasible

Addressing calls for platform screen doors at LRT stations, Siow said the Government had studied the option extensively.

He noted that unlike MRT stations, LRT stations are significantly smaller and lack sufficient space to accommodate the power supply, communications equipment and signalling systems required for platform screen doors to operate safely alongside train doors.

Installing such systems could also require some stations to close for prolonged periods.

"After careful consideration, we concluded that, unlike the MRT, platform screen doors would not be installed on the existing LRT system," Siow said.

Instead, fixed barriers with intermittent gaps have been installed at all LRT platforms to reduce the likelihood of commuters falling onto the tracks.

He acknowledged that the barriers were not without shortcomings.

"These are not a perfect substitute for platform screen doors. In fact, we have observed some commuters leaning against the fixed barriers, which carries its own risks."

"On balance, they provide better protection than having no barriers at all, particularly during busy periods."

Alternative technologies under review

Beyond physical barriers, Siow said public transport operators have also introduced technological measures to improve detection of track intrusions.

Systems capable of immediately alerting operators when a person passes beyond the platform barriers and enters the tracks were installed across the Bukit Panjang LRT network in 2023 and on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT system in 2024.

Nevertheless, Siow said the recent fatality demonstrated that authorities must continue improving safety measures.

He said he had instructed LTA and operators to revisit every available option.

"This includes manually operated platform screen doors that do not need to be synchronised with train doors, as well as Edward Chia's suggestion on automated rope barriers."

He reiterated that commuter safety would remain the transport sector's highest priority.

"The transport sector has made significant improvements over the years, but there is always more to be done. We owe it to the family who has lost a loved one, and to every commuter who entrusts us with their daily journeys to keep working at this — so that we can all travel with peace of mind."

Safety record highlighted

Siow said Singapore's public transport system remained among the safest despite the tragedy.

More than seven million journeys are made daily on the country's train and bus network.

According to the minister, there have been two fatalities on the MRT and LRT network over the past three years, compared with 145 road fatalities recorded last year.

"But behind every statistic is a person, and a family. Every loss of life matters," he said.

"This is precisely why even a single fatality on our network is one too many, and why we treat each one with the utmost seriousness."

He also outlined previous efforts to improve railway safety.

When the MRT network began operations in 1987, above-ground stations did not have platform screen doors because this reflected international practice at the time.

Singapore began installing platform screen doors at above-ground MRT stations in 2009 before completing the programme in 2012.

Questions followed fatal Segar incident

The parliamentary questions followed the fatal incident at Segar LRT station on 18 May.

Liang and Chia sought updates on investigations by the Police and LTA, whether existing safety measures remained adequate, whether track intrusion monitoring systems functioned properly and whether there were gaps in the operator's emergency response.

Chia also asked whether higher-risk Bukit Panjang LRT stations could adopt alternative physical barriers, including automated rope barriers used overseas, if platform screen doors could not be installed.

The incident involved a 68-year-old man who fell onto the tracks at Segar station and died.

According to local Chinese-language newspaper Shin Min Daily News, the deceased was identified as Lu Xi Xing (transliterated from Chinese characters 卢喜星), a school operations manager at a primary school in Sengkang.

Police said they received a call for assistance at about 5.50am on 18 May.

Investigations found the man was seen falling onto the tracks in front of an approaching train at about 5am.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it was alerted at about 6.25am, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.

The incident disrupted Bukit Panjang LRT services for approximately four hours.

SMRT first announced the disruption in a Facebook post at 6.52am, attributing it to a track intrusion.

In an update issued at 7.08am, the operator said a man had been seen trespassing onto the tracks near Segar station at about 5am.

In an earlier interview with Shin Min, the victim's son said his father had low blood sugar and had previously experienced episodes of dizziness.

He urged the authorities to review safety measures at LRT stations, questioning whether the gaps between platform barriers were too wide, whether trains were equipped with track intrusion detection systems capable of automatically triggering emergency braking, whether emergency stop buttons at stations could immediately halt approaching trains, and what happened during the period between his father's estimated fall at about 5am and the subsequent notifications to the Police and the SCDF.