Telco services on Circle Line suspended for whole of Friday amid tests for signal fault
Photo: Koh Mui Fong/TODAY
SINGAPORE – Mobile services along the entire the Circle Line (CCL) will be shut for a full day on Friday (Nov 4), as the authorities escalated efforts to track down the source of a persistent signal fault that's been causing widespread delays.
And warning that suspensions could continue beyond Friday, at 11.15am, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) wrote in on Facebook: "Should there be a need to extend this further, affected commuters will be informed as early as we can."
The LTA said on Friday night that the mobile network will be progressively restored from 11am on Saturday and is expected to be fully up by 12pm.
Telcos M1 and Singtel first announced a suspension of telecommunication signals on the 30-station line for about two hours on Friday morning. After an extension to 9.30am, Singtel announced on Facebook that the service disruption would be extended for a full day on Friday. It is unclear when the suspension would be lifted.
"Please note that the suspension of mobile services along the Circle Line has been extended for the rest of today on LTA's instructions," Singtel wrote on Facebook at 9.55am. "We apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding."
Friday's shutdown of mobile telecommunication signals on the CCL is the second in two days and the most drastic yet by the authorities. They had previously ordered a smaller-scale suspension of mobile signals on Sept 2, in a similar bid to trace the source of the interfering signal, which resulted in train service delays spanning five days. The suspension then lasted two hours and involved only four CCL stations: Kent Ridge, Haw Par Villa, Pasir Panjang and Labrador Park.
They were unsuccessful in tracking down the source of the interference, which resurfaced this week on Wednesday morning, disrupting service between six stations, including Bishan and Serangoon interchanges.
Neither the LTA nor train operator SMRT have shed light on the progress they are making in their efforts to find the cause of the signal fault. Messages posted by SMRT on Thursday and Friday merely alluded to "ongoing tests".
Earlier on Friday morning, SMRT warned of fresh delays on the CCL due to the recurrence of the signal fault which disrupted Wednesday morning's rush-hour commute. But the trains appeared to run smoothly at several CCL stations that TODAY visited.
The delays have frustrated some commuters like sales executive Titus Khoo, 24. Mr Khoo, who was one hour late for work on Wednesday due to the mysterious signalling fault, said: "People are angry because they have a high standard in their work... It affects your reliability as a worker."
And others complain of being inconvenienced by the cut in mobile communuication. Mr Michael Lim, 44, was waiting for his friend at Serangoon MRT station. The hair stylist said: "I don't know if my friend (travelling from Toa Payoh) is in the Circle Line. I've been trying to contact him since half an hour ago. We are trying to go to Jurong together. I think I won't take the Circle Line today."
But some like Mr Marquose Fernandez called for more patience among Singaporeans. The 48-year-old retiree man said: "Safety is more important (than our mobile signal)... On the aircraft, we are not allowed to use the mobile phone. There is a reason behind it... it affects navigation... Likewise, we should respect what the authorities are trying to do for us (with the train signalling issue).
