Track fault, dislodged components cause partial suspension of Bukit Panjang LRT services
Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit. TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — Train services on the Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit (BPLRT) were suspended temporarily in stages on Wednesday (Sept 28), due to a track fault that forced transport operator SMRT to run six trains, or half its usual number of trains, during the morning rush hour.
Partial services on the inner loop service (from Bukit Panjang Station towards Petir Station) resumed at 1.20pm, while Service B (from Choa Chu Kang Station towards Bukit Panjang Station, the inner loop, and back to Choa Chu Kang Station) was restored at 5.45pm.
SMRT said in a press release that it would continue its checks and investigations after service hours and aims to restore full services this morning.
From 12pm on Wednesday, all services were temporarily suspended for “urgent inspections and assessment” by engineers on the train cars and track network, starting with Choa Chu Kang to Bukit Panjang stations in both directions.
The train operator explained that at about 10.20am, the network encountered a power trip due to a track fault.
“It was found that one of the LRT train cars had its collector shoes dislodged, causing it to stall near Choa Chu Kang Station.”
Passengers were safely moved from train to track and guided to the station, and free bus and bus-bridging services were available until the end of service on Wednesday.
The incident was linked to a problem that surfaced on Tuesday night, when services on the BPLRT were affected from 10pm due to a “damaged signal rail joint” near Choa Chu Kang Station.
The current collector devices on many BPLRT trains cars were dislodged as they moved over the damaged rail joint.
Each LRT train car has two of such components and is able to draw power and receive signals even if one of the devices is faulty.
SMRT said that the dislodged devices were discovered only upon inspection when the trains returned to the depot after service hours. The engineering crew then worked through Tuesday night to assess the condition of the BPLRT train cars and track network.
The damaged rail joint was replaced and the dislodged devices on 15 LRT train cars were progressively replaced.
However, more time was needed to carry out assessments and rectification works, and BPLRT services started only at 6.40am on Wednesday.
When the power trip happened at 10.20am, preliminary findings showed that the damaged devices on the train cars may have further affected other parts of the track network, before they were replaced after service hours on Wednesday night, SMRT said in a Facebook post.
Managing director for SMRT Trains Lee Ling Wee said: “We apologise for the inconvenience caused.
“Our priority is to minimise impact to commuters and residents of Bukit Panjang by maintaining services on Service B of the BPLRT network to connect them to the Downtown Line.”
