Safety Measures on Train Platforms following Fatal Incident at Segar LRT Station

Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) what are the findings of the Police and LTA investigations arising from the fatal incident at Segar LRT Station on 18 May 2026; (b) whether the track intrusion monitoring systems were functioning as intended; and (c) whether any gaps were identified in the incident response by the operator.

Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Acting Minister for Transport (a) whether, given space constraints in installing platform screen doors at LRT stations, LTA has assessed alternative physical barriers such as automated rope barriers used overseas; and (b) whether these can be installed at higher-risk Bukit Panjang LRT stations following the fatal incident at Segar LRT Station.

At about 5.00 am on 18 May 2026, a man fell onto the tracks at Segar Light Rail Transit (LRT) station, in front of an oncoming train, and lost his life. This is a tragedy and my heart goes out to his family. I know Mr 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. As the incident is still being investigated, I am not able to share the specifics of the case at this point. My reply will instead address the broader questions Members have raised about the safety of our public transport system.

I am deeply saddened that this happened. All of us who work in transport carry a profound responsibility for the safety of commuters and we feel the weight of that responsibility every day. Safety is and has always been our first priority. It is the foundation on which we design and operate our Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and LRT systems. Whenever an anomaly is detected, trains are designed to come to a complete stop, and services resume only after we are satisfied that it is safe to do so. This may sometimes inconvenience commuters, but we always put safety first.

Our public transport system is, by any measure, a very safe one. More than seven million trips are taken on our train and bus network each day. On the MRT and LRT, there have been two fatalities in the last three years. By comparison, there were 149 road fatalities last year – roughly one every three days. But behind every statistic is a person and a family. Every loss of life matters. 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.

One area where we have continually strengthened safety is at train platforms. When the MRT first opened in 1987, there were no screen doors on the platforms of above-ground stations. This was the international norm at the time and remains common in many train systems today. But we were not content to leave things as they were. To better protect commuters, we began installing platform screen doors for MRT stations in 2009. We completed the programme in 2012.

The LRT, however, presented a much more difficult engineering challenge. Platform screen doors require power supply, communications and signal control equipment to operate safely and in sync with train doors. Our LRT stations are much smaller than MRT stations, which means there is insufficient space to install the equipment and cabling required. Installing such systems may also require some LRT stations to be closed for extended periods.

After careful consideration, we concluded that, unlike the MRT, platform screen doors would not be installed on the existing LRT system. Instead, we introduced a suite of other measures to mitigate the risk of people falling onto the tracks. We installed fixed barriers with intermittent gaps for all LRT platforms. 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. But on balance, they provide better protection than having no barriers at all, particularly during busy periods.

In addition, our public transport operators have been experimenting with technological solutions to raise an immediate alert when a person moves past the fixed barriers and enters the LRT tracks. These solutions have been installed for the Bukit Panjang LRT in 2023, and for the Sengkang-Punggol LRT in 2024.

While physical and technological constraints have prevented the installation of platform screen doors at LRT stations thus far, this incident reminds us that we must never stop looking for better solutions. I have, therefore, asked LTA and the public transport operators to re-examine all available solutions. This includes manually operated platform screen doors that do not need to be synchronised with train doors, as well as Mr Edward Chia's suggestion on automated rope barriers. We should not assume that what was not feasible before will remain infeasible forever.

Commuter safety will always be our 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.