SINGAPORE: A train fault on the North-South Line caused a 25-minute delay between Woodlands and Yishun stations on 2 September evening, affecting commuters travelling towards Marina South Pier.
According to SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai, the incident occurred at 8.05pm when a train-borne signalling fault was detected.
The affected train was withdrawn from service while staff worked to rectify the issue.
SMRT activated free bus services between the two stations, deployed ground staff for assistance, and advised passengers at Woodlands station to use the Thomson-East Coast Line as an alternative.
The operator first alerted commuters to the disruption via Facebook at 8.22pm, informing them of an expected 25-minute delay.
By 8.48pm, services were gradually resuming, with normal operations fully restored at 8.58pm.
Lam apologised for the inconvenience, expressing appreciation for commuters’ patience and understanding.
This disruption follows a string of incidents across Singapore’s rail network.
On 1 September morning, a train fault disrupted services on three stations of the Circle Line, which is also operated by SMRT.
This was the first reported service disruption on the Circle Line since 20 May 2025.
On 29 July, there were commuter reports of overcrowded conditions during peak hours at multiple Circle Line stations, though no official incident was acknowledged by the operator at that time.
In August alone, several major faults occurred across multiple lines.
A signalling fault paralysed the Downtown Line on 28 August, a five-hour breakdown struck the East-West Line on 6 August, and a power fault crippled the North East Line on 12 August, affecting 11 stations for three hours.
Additionally, the Sengkang-Punggol Light Rail Transit faced a four-hour halt on 15 August due to power problems.
July saw two disruptions on the Bukit Panjang LRT and a one-hour suspension on the Thomson-East Coast Line caused by signalling issues.
The frequency of disruptions has drawn mounting concern from both commuters and officials.
Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow described the string of breakdowns as “disappointing” in a Facebook post on 6 August.
He pledged that the “One Transport family” would continue working to enhance rail reliability.
Commuters have voiced frustration online, pointing to the increasing regularity of train faults and calling for stronger accountability, improved investigation of technical failures, and better rail management to reduce disruptions.
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