Workers’ Party Member of Parliament for Sengkang GRC, Associate Professor Jamus Lim, has voiced residents’ concerns following two major service disruptions on the Sengkang-Punggol Light Rail Transit (LRT) system within a week.
In a Facebook post on 18 August, he noted that while occasional delays are part of daily life, repeated breakdowns demand accountability and clarity.
Assoc Prof Lim emphasised the importance of official explanations and the need to reflect residents’ frustrations.
The disruptions, he warned, had broader implications.
Assoc Prof Lim said that the LRT system had been plagued by problems over the years, including overcrowded trains and inconvenience for residents with limited transport alternatives.
He emphasised that many commuters fear disruptions could cause them to miss important work events, especially since they already factor in delays when boarding crowded trains or waiting for infrequent buses.
For vulnerable groups such as the elderly and disabled, being forced to walk along train tracks after disembarking stranded trains can be particularly distressing.
“Such cases may not often be life-threatening, but it is cold comfort for those who may worry about such a scenario befalling their loved ones,” Assoc Prof Lim said.
Questions over service resilience and planning
The MP also questioned the extent of resilience built into Singapore’s public transport network.
Assoc Prof Lim argued that while efficiency is often prioritised, a degree of redundancy is necessary to meet the needs of an ageing population that still relies heavily on buses.
“Moreover, the impression I’ve received from the Minister for Transport—when debating bus line cancellations in Parliament—is that bus lines are likely to be a casualty, whenever new train routes are introduced.”
In his view, more flexibility should be allowed so that commuters are not left vulnerable when rail systems fail.
“Personally, I believe that we can accept a little more inefficiency, in favor of services that cater to an aging population that relies, more often than not, on buses instead of trains.”
Assoc Prof Lim concluded by stating that he would continue monitoring the issue and will raise parliamentary questions regarding potential lapses in routine maintenance and the expected timeline for the rollout of new LRT trains on the Sengkang loops.
Jeffrey Siow calls recent Singapore rail disruptions “disappointing”, vows system improvements
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SBS Transit, in a joint statement on 16 August 2025, said comprehensive investigations and tests are underway after a rare “double fault” disrupted both the North-East Line (NEL) and Sengkang-Punggol LRT.
According to the agencies, both incidents stemmed from electrical faults at the Sengkang Depot Substation.
The first disruption, on 12 August, halted NEL services for almost three hours and paralysed the Sengkang-Punggol LRT for five hours.
A second incident, on 15 August, caused another four-hour outage on the LRT network.
Repairs to the damaged equipment were completed by 16 August, though investigations into the root causes are ongoing.
The breakdowns follow a series of rail faults in recent weeks.
Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow described the spate of outages as “disappointing”, after earlier disruptions on the East-West Line, Thomson-East Coast Line, and Bukit Panjang LRT.
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