Action Plans in Case of Flooding at Underground MRT Stations

Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether a study to look into the worst case scenario has been conducted to assess the impact of unforeseen flooding of underground MRT stations; (b) whether any contingency and evacuation plans have been put in place should such unforeseen flooding occur; and (c) whether there is a need to include such plans in the emergency drills conducted regularly by relevant agencies to ensure that Singaporeans are fully prepared and equipped to deal with such incidents.

All existing MRT stations are required to conform to minimum platform and crest levels stipulated under PUB's Code of Practice on Surface Water Drainage4 during the design stage. For MRT stations and associated structures that cannot meet these requirements due to site constraints, LTA would, in consultation with PUB, implement alternate preventive measures, such as floodgates and flood barrier walls, to ensure that entrances to MRT stations have flood protection of at least a metre above the surrounding land. For example, LTA installed a floodgate at the Chinatown Station entrance at Pagoda Street as the entrance height was not able to meet PUB's requirements for crest protection.

Notwithstanding the above, as minimum platform and crest levels are measured from surrounding ground and road levels, the flood protection of existing MRT stations has to be reviewed periodically to take into account changes in the surrounding levels of MRT stations and the associated structures. Following a joint review with PUB in 2011, LTA will implement additional flood protection measures such as floodgates and flood barrier walls in three phases. The first phase, which will include six MRT stations in low lying downtown areas – City Hall, Little India, Novena, Orchard, Raffles Place and Tanjong Pagar – is already being implemented. The second phase, which includes another 11 stations and associated structures, is scheduled to commence implementation by this year.

In addition to the above measures, LTA requires both Public Transport Operators (PTOs) to have robust flood management plans and procedures to effectively handle flooding situations in our stations should they occur. To this end, various exercises involving the PTOs, relevant stakeholders and Government agencies including the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and PUB, are conducted periodically.