Thomson-East Coast Line train services resume after early morning disruption

SINGAPORE: Commuters on the Thomson-East Coast MRT Line (TEL) experienced temporary disruptions early this morning (March 12) due to a train failure, according to SMRT.

The rail operator announced on social media at 5:41 a.m. that services between Gardens by the Bay and Bayshore stations were affected. In response, SMRT deployed free shuttle buses to assist commuters travelling along the impacted stretch. Train services between Woodlands North and Gardens by the Bay remained operational.

The disruption was caused by a train breakdown at Tanjong Katong Station at around 5 a.m. SMRT’s engineering team was swiftly dispatched to the scene, where they worked to resolve the issue. The faulty train was safely moved to a track siding, allowing normal services to resume.

By around 6:30 a.m., SMRT provided an update stating that train services had gradually resumed. The operator has yet to provide further details on the cause of the train failure but assured commuters that the issue was addressed promptly.

This incident marks the latest in a string of recent train faults on the Thomson-East Coast Line. Just over two months ago, on Jan 2, commuters experienced service disruptions due to a train fault.

A few days earlier, on Dec 29, another train issue caused a 15-minute delay for passengers travelling between Bayshore and Woodlands North, with trains operating at reduced speeds. Prior to that, on Dec 27, a signalling system fault led to intermittent stoppages along the line, delaying journeys by up to 15 minutes.