Two major train lines knocked out for hours

Singapore

TWO major train lines were knocked out for some three hours during peak-hour traffic on Tuesday, with early investigations suggesting that a power fault linked to a faulty train was the cause.

This comes about four years after two massive breakdowns of the train service, for which SMRT was slapped with a S$1 million fine per incident in 2011. That was then the highest possible amount that SMRT could be fined.

Last year, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) raised the maximum penalty to 10 per cent of the annual fare revenue of the affected line or S$1 million, whichever is higher.

For SMRT then, the maximum fine could run into tens of millions of dollars.

At 7.15pm, trains running along the North-South and East-West lines were disrupted - the first time that both lines stopped running concurrently, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew in a Facebook post.

All services were fully restored at 10.35pm at reduced speeds, with SMRT first restoring the East-West Line's service from Pasir Ris to Joo Koon in about two hours from the time of disruption.

LTA said it will conduct a full investigation into this incident.

SMRT separately held its AGM just hours before the train disruptions. In his speech, chief executive Desmond Kuek said the company has been making progress in its discussions with the authorities over the "financial sustainability" of the rail business.

He said the train business suffered an operating loss of S$2.4 million for the first time in the last quarter of fiscal 2015, as there has been no "commensurate increase in fare revenue" to offset rising operating costs.

He said that under a new rail financing framework, the government - instead of SMRT - should own all operating assets and the associated risks for major capital asset investments. These assets should be leased to SMRT over a shortened licence period.