Train services on Singapore’s East-West Line were fully restored at 11:05 am on 6 August 2025, after a disruption lasting 5 hours.
Train operator SMRT confirmed that the affected stretch between Boon Lay and Buona Vista was reinstated after engineering teams resolved a point machine fault near Jurong East station.
In an update at 11:20 am, SMRT stated that engineers had accessed the track after the morning peak period and successfully rectified the issue.
The disruption began at the start of service, with SMRT first issuing a Facebook alert at 6:03 am.
Initial advisories covered Boon Lay to Clementi. By 7:17 am, the affected zone was expanded to Buona Vista, with delays expected to grow.
Point machines are critical infrastructure, directing train movements when switching tracks. SMRT noted that full functionality is essential for safe operations.
Once the fault was detected, trains were instructed to reduce speed to 18kph for safety, prompting advisory notices for up to 25 minutes of additional travel time.
To ease commuter inconvenience, SMRT deployed free regular and bridging buses, and made e-Travel Chits available for delay verification.
By 9:00 am, SMRT advised commuters to expect a 25-minute buffer.
However, social media posts and commuter logs described longer delays, often exceeding 35 minutes.
Videos shared at Lakeside station showed large crowds and halted trains visible from platforms.
One commuter reported taking 22 minutes to travel from Pioneer to Jurong East—a route typically completed in 10 minutes.
He eventually switched to the North-South Line after enduring further standstills.
Another passenger voiced concern over being charged despite exiting the same station, citing a lack of clear information at entry points.
An open letter posted online criticised the handling of shuttle buses near Chinese Garden station between 7:25 am and 7:40 am.
The letter described “no SMRT or LTA staff present to provide direction”, calling the contingency plan “completely unmanaged”.
SMRT Trains President Lam Sheau Kai of Singapore confirmed that trains were slowed deliberately for safety while engineers worked on-site.
He apologised for the disruption and assured commuters that full-speed services would resume swiftly.
Under the New Rail Financing Framework, incident investigations begin once the operator submits a report to authorities.
The same corridor has seen faults before.
On 4 July 2024, a point machine failure at Jurong East caused a three-hour delay.
More extensive damage between Jurong East and Buona Vista in September 2024 led to a six-day closure and a S$3 million fine for SMRT.
In response, 46 point machines were replaced, and predictive sensors trialled.
However, the latest incident suggests persistent vulnerabilities in the system’s reliability.
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