Cause of Recent LRT Train Breakdown, Progress of Upgrading Works and Expected Timeline for Resumption of Double Loop Service

Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the current progress of the Bukit Panjang LRT upgrade project, particularly with regard to the resumption of the daily double loop service; and (b) what is the status of the replacement of the first-generation train cabins on the Bukit Panjang LRT line.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether an update can be provided on the cause of the recent LRT train breakdown between Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang LRT stations; and (b) what regular checks are train operators mandated to conduct on LRT trains including on its tyres to prevent breakdowns.

Thank you, Sir. On 22 October 2024 at about 5.08 pm, a Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit, or BPLRT, train moving in the direction of Choa Chu Kang station stalled before Teck Whye station. To preserve service along the affected stretch, SMRT activated a shuttle train service using the other bound of track between Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang LRT stations at 5.19 pm. SMRT also activated free regular bus services to provide commuters with another alternative travel option between the affected stations.

BPLRT loop services between Bukit Panjang and Petir stations via Service A, and between Bukit Panjang and Senja stations via Service B, were not affected and continued throughout the evening.

In accordance with standard operating procedure, SMRT deployed an empty recovery train to couple with the stalled train. To ensure commuter safety, all passengers on the incident train disembarked onto the station platform at Teck Whye station by 5.40 pm. Thereafter, the recovery train proceeded to move the empty incident train back towards the BPLRT depot, where further checks could be done. During this movement, a power trip occurred and the coupled trains stalled due to a loss of traction power.

Investigations are ongoing. Based on the Land Transport Authority's (LTA's) initial findings, the incident was caused by a gear failure in one of the wheel assemblies of the incident train. As a consequence, the pair of wheels on the damaged wheel assembly were unable to rotate normally.

LRT trains run on rubber tyres. As the affected wheels on the incident train were unable to rotate, the friction between the rubber tyres and the guideway caused the tyres to deflate. This then resulted in a bar below the carriage of the incident train to come into contact with the power rail, which caused damage to the power rail and led to the power trip.

For the safety of commuters and repair workers, SMRT assessed that recovery works on the stalled train and damaged power rail should only take place after the affected stretch of the BPLRT is shut down. To complete recovery works before service commencement the following day, SMRT decided to end the shuttle train service along the affected stretch earlier at around 10.00 pm, compared to the usual closing time of 11.30 pm. Free bus services between the affected stations continued until 1.00 am.

SMRT carried out repair works throughout the night. Thorough checks were then conducted to ensure safety before BPLRT services resumed at 5.00 am the following morning.

Mr Edward Chia and Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked about the progress of BPLRT renewal works and the resumption of double loop service. The BPLRT renewal works are progressing well. First, LTA is bringing in new trains and upgrading existing ones. Second, we are upgrading all the BPLRT core systems such as power and signalling.

We have four new third-generation vehicles that have entered passenger service, with another two currently undergoing testing. The remaining 13 new vehicles will arrive progressively over the coming year. The second-generation vehicles are also being enhanced – six of these have completed their upgrades and are in passenger service, while the remaining seven will be progressively upgraded over the next 12 months. We target for the new and upgraded vehicles to enter service by end-2025.

The power supply system for the BPLRT has been fully upgraded with increased capacity, including enhancements such as dedicated power supply monitoring and control systems. LTA is currently upgrading the Operations Control Centre and replacing the power rails to improve operations and system reliability.

To support these upgrading works, LTA recently announced the need for early closure of the BPLRT from 14 November 2024 to 31 October 2025, where train services would end one hour earlier every Thursday to Sunday, excluding public holidays. When in operation, the new signalling system will allow better control of train speeds, so that commuters can enjoy smoother and more reliable rides.

We have fully resumed dual-loop services on BPLRT for all hours on weekends and public holidays since 28 September 2024. LTA aims to resume dual-loop services for all hours on weekdays in the coming months.

We are on track to complete the BPLRT renewal programme in 2026. We recognise that the improvement works have been a long journey, but we have to go through this process to fix the legacy problems and deliver better service for our commuters. We thank commuters and residents for their understanding and patience during this period when we are carrying out the renewal programme. When completed in 2026, the upgraded BPLRT will provide commuters with a more reliable, more comfortable and smoother travel experience.

Mr Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to give some updates on the safety and reliability of our Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network since my Ministerial Statement on 15 October 2024.

First, SMRT has formed a tripartite Rail Safety and Reliability Review Workgroup to review its systems and processes, including its maintenance practices and lifecycle management of assets. SMRT has invited representatives from LTA and the National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU) to join this Workgroup and will also engage overseas metro operators in Guangzhou and Taipei for mutual learning. LTA welcomes this initiative and will work together with SMRT and NTWU in this tripartite workgroup to identify areas for improvement and maintain safety and reliability standards for the benefit of commuters.

I would like to inform the House that the overall mean kilometres between failure, or MKBF, for our MRT network up to end October 2024 has improved from about 1.8 million train-kilometres in end September, to almost two million train-kilometres as at end October this year. Importantly, all the MRT lines have continued to achieve our target MKBF of at least one million train-kilometres.

Sir, my colleagues and I will continue to pay close attention to keeping MKBF above the one million train-kilometre target as we know that safety and reliability are important for commuters. This is a priority for the One Transport Family. I thank our tripartite partners for the support, especially our workers and union leaders for their hard work and dedication, to provide a safe, reliable and resilient rail system for Singapore. This is our common mission and our shared goal, and we will work closely together and do our best to achieve it.

Mr Speaker, I was hoping that the Minister would give us a firm date on when the dual-loop services can be fully resumed. So, maybe my first question for the Minister is whether he can give us a clearer timeline, instead of just saying the coming months.

Secondly, with the resumption of the dual-loop services in the coming months and also with the adding on of the new train cars into the system, I would like to ask the Minister whether that would improve the overall stability of the system or it can pose more risks.

And if, indeed, there could be more risks, how can LTA and SMRT be better prepared for this very critical phase and also to reduce any inconveniences to our commuters should there be any disruption?

Mr Speaker, I thank Mr Liang for raising these important questions. If I could give him a more specific date, I would be happy to do so. But I think it is important for us to monitor the progress closely. And along the way, we will certainly provide updates to Mr Liang and to the other grassroots advisors who are looking after the Bukit Panjang area.

The commitment I want to give to Mr Liang and to the House is that we will do our best to expedite the upgrading works. But we want to do so in a manner which is safe for the workers and also for commuters. So, we will do our best.

Mr Liang also asked about the services and the reliability during this period. Indeed, this upgrading journey has been a long one and it involves bringing in new trains, upgrading existing trains, as well as upgrading all the BPLRT core systems, such as power and signalling.

And because it is done on multiple fronts, we need to make sure that this is done safely and, to make it even more challenging, because you have to run the BPLRT services during the operating or revenue hours, we could only do some of the maintenance and some of these works during the engineering hours. So, that is why we seek the understanding of our residents and commuters, that we will need to have early closure during this period to give more time for the upgrading works to be completed.

I want to also assure Mr Liang that commuter safety is a top priority. That is why we want to plan the renewal works very carefully and to cater for thorough and comprehensive testing. And we will certainly try to do so with minimal impact on the existing BPLRT operations so that the renewed BPLRT system will become even better and the rides will be more reliable, smoother, more comfortable for commuters.

During the early closure, we will also put up information, such as posters, at the affected stations to inform commuters of the service adjustments. And there will be public address announcements in the stations and trains to remind passengers to make alternative travel arrangements, if needed.

To Mr Liang's other question, we will certainly do our best to ensure that the testing and the integration works can proceed smoothly and as planned. And if, touch wood, we were to experience any disruptions during this period, we will certainly do our best to respond quickly and effectively.

The rail operators have in place robust response plans in the event of a service disruption. These include the incident recovery procedures as well as the provision of alternative transportation options, such as free buses, that will serve the journey between the affected stations.

And we will certainly take on board the learning points from past incidents and also when we do exercises and reviews that can help LTA and our operators to be able to make continual improvements to our incident response plans. And this will include the timeliness and clarity of our public announcements in the event of a disruption and also how we can better manage the crowd that will be affected during the disruptions.

Sir, I want to end by saying that while I am unable to give Mr Liang a more definite date at this point in time, the assurance I want to give him is that we will do our best to not delay this further, but we will also want to do it in a thorough manner, for safety and for reliability. And we are grateful to commuters and to residents for their kind understanding and patience during this period because our end outcome is something that I hope will lead to a more reliable, safer and more comfortable ride for our commuters.

Mr Speaker, before I begin, I would like to declare that I am the Deputy Executive Secretary of the NTWU.

I thank the Minister for the reply. In the investigations done, was there a root cause analysis done to ensure that there were no systemic issues with the breakdown? And given that there will be new dual-carriage trains coming into the Punggol LRT loop next year, what updates to the maintenance and checks standard operating procedures will be added? And what measures have been taken to ensure that our engineers and station operators are sufficiently trained to ensure that they are safe during repair works?

Mr Speaker, I want to, first, clarify that investigations are still ongoing. So, I cannot quite give a definite answer on what is the root cause. I have explained what we have gathered so far in my main reply. But if we look at the past track record of the BPLRT, the last time we had a similar incident that affected the gears of the wheel assembly was in 2010. So, that was quite some time ago and it has not recurred since.

So, this more recent episode, we will have to look into exactly what was the root cause. But I think it does not suggest that there is something systemic in this particular instance. We will take a look more closely during the investigations.

To Ms Yeo's second question regarding the two-car trains to be added to the Sengkang-Punggol LRT, LTA has procured 25 new two-car trains for the Sengkang-Punggol LRT, with the first new two-car trains arriving in December this year. These trains will undergo rigorous testing and commissioning before they are put into passenger service starting from the second half of 2025.

When all the new trains are delivered, it will double the number of two-car trains in the Sengkang-Punggol LRT fleet, which will allow the Sengkang-Punggol LRT to be operated entirely with two-car trains by mid-2028, increasing passenger capacity to better serve our residents.

Mr Speaker, as I have received feedback from Zhenghua residents regarding morning peak hour wait times and also crowd issues, I would like to ask the Minister, with all the upgrades, especially with the signalling system upgrade, how will these actually impact or improve waiting times and overall system capacity as well, especially at downstream stations, such as Senja LRT station?

Mr Speaker, I thank Mr Chia for raising this question on behalf of his residents. Indeed, I think we are aiming to see how we can do better with the system upgrades and also the train upgrades. With a better signalling system, we can certainly run the trains with a higher frequency and that will then help to cater more capacity for our commuters.

But we have to go through a period of the upgrading works before we are able to arrive at that outcome. So, I want to thank Mr Chia as well for working with us to explain the situation to his residents and also to continue to share the feedback from the residents with LTA.

Mr Speaker, I am going to just put a question with regard to the last part of the Minister's reply to the Parliamentary Question which covered the MKBF data as an overall update on some of the breakdowns that have happened over the last few weeks. Just to confirm with the Minister that the one million-threshold for MKBF was set a number of years ago, about five years ago now.

The Minister shared some data of the reliability of certain lines and that reliability figure has obviously gone higher than one million MKBF. Can I confirm whether the Ministry of Transport is considering raising the threshold and, if it does, what would be the reasons why it would do so and whether it is sustainable going forward.

Mr Speaker, I thank Mr Singh for asking this question about the MKBF. Indeed, the target of one million was set some years ago, I think by the then-Minister Khaw Boon Wan, as a focus for the One Transport Family to work towards a shared goal. It is also a meaningful indicator because it allows us to then benchmark against the other operators, especially those who are top of class around the world.

So, the one million was chosen because that represents – and I think it is still relevant today – what the best, most reliable operators, like Taipei, Guangzhou and others, have managed to achieve in their system. If we look at it today, I think it is still a relevant and valid target, something that is useful for us to focus on and that is something which we will continue to work towards.

But whether we should raise it further, I think that is something that we have to assess carefully because there is a trade-off between raising MKBF further and what is the cost incurred, which would then ultimately have to be borne by either taxpayers or commuters. So, we will study this carefully.

At the moment, I think that one million is still a relevant and valid target, and that is something that the One Transport Family will work towards, will continue to maintain, to ensure that our system can keep above this one million target.