Train services fully resume on Circle Line after disruption caused by power fault

SINGAPORE: Train services on the Circle Line were disrupted for nearly two hours due to a power fault on Tuesday evening (Sep 17), affecting peak-hour travel for scores of commuters.
There were no train services in both directions after a “momentary power fault” occurred at about 5.50pm, said transport operator SMRT, adding that the issue was resolved within 15 minutes.
“During this 15-minute period, the stalled trains did not have air-conditioning. The battery powers the ventilation fans and some lights, so it may not have been as bright,” SMRT said in a Facebook post.
“Our engineers restored power to the network. However, some segments of the network require trains to be safely reset. At 7.10pm, all trains were put back to service and train services are progressively resuming.”
SMRT said travel time on the Circle Line may be extended by 30 minutes.
Commuters were advised to take other lines and alternative means of transport to continue their journeys.
Free regular bus services were also activated. 
In an update at about 7.40pm, SMRT announced that train services had “fully resumed to normal”, and free regular buses at all Circle Line Stations had been stopped.
Describing the fault as a “traction power trip”, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a statement late Tuesday that 11 trains stalled in the Circle Line tunnels during the traction power outage. 
“After power was restored, SMRT staff had to manually recover these trains and all were driven to the next station by 6.30pm. Consequently, journeys were delayed by about 30 minutes,” said LTA.
It added that as part of standard operating procedure, SMRT had to manage the inflow of commuters to the stations as train services were progressively restored. This was to avoid overcrowding and ensure the safety of commuters.
“LTA will investigate into the cause of the traction power trip, and assess the adequacy of SMRT’s service recovery measures,” said the authority.
Large crowds were seen at Circle Line stations during the disruption, especially during the early stages. 
Just before 6pm, announcements were made at the stations, advising passengers to alight from trains and seek other transport options. Commuters were also stopped from tapping into the stations.
Passengers were allowed into some stations shortly after, but trains were still not moving.
An X user reported that the train travelling between one-north and Buona Vista was without lights and air-conditioning. A photo accompanying the post showed a packed train carriage with commuters in partial darkness.
At about 6.15pm, lights in the stationary trains at Pasir Panjang station came back on, with an announcement that services had resumed, according to a commuter.
At Buona Vista station, an SMRT staff member was seen at about 6.40pm preventing commuters from heading down to the train platform, explaining that the “Circle Line is down”.
She directed commuters to take the East-West Line instead. Commuters were subsequently allowed to head down to the train platform about 10 minutes later.
Announcements were also made on the North-East Line at about 7pm, informing commuters that service on the Circle Line had resumed, although additional travel time could be expected.
The train disruption added about 20 minutes to Ms Felicia Ng’s daily commute home.
Ms Ng, who boarded the train at Buona Vista station at about 5.50pm, said lights on the train partially went out before passengers were told to alight at Pasir Panjang MRT station.
She waited for about 15 minutes at the station before being allowed to board the train again.
“The train stopped for a while at Labrador Park. I was worried it would be another delay. Luckily, (the train) started moving slowly after that,” said Ms Ng who eventually reached her destination – HarbourFront MRT station – at about 6.30pm.
SMRT said on Wednesday that staff worked late into the night to complete the engineering diagnosis and ensure that systems were functioning.
“We understand commuters have had a long day yesterday, and we sincerely apologise for the extended travel time,” it added.
“We appreciate the patience and understanding of all those affected.”
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