MRT train stalls at Tai Seng station, disrupting service at Circle Line for an hour

MRT services along the Circle Line were disrupted for about an hour after a train stalled at Tai Seng station on Saturday (Dec 14), causing delays in commuters' journeys.

The disruption began at around 6.20pm, with some commuters reporting a "blackout" on the train, which came to a standstill at Tai Seng station.

Commuters can be seen standing by the open train doors, waiting for services to resume.

On social media, public transport operator SMRT alerted commuters that they would face an additional 30 minutes of travel time between Promenade and Serangoon stations due to a train fault.

Free regular bus service between the two stations - 10 stops apart - was also provided.

At 7.10pm, SMRT announced that the train fault had been cleared and that services between Promenade and Serangoon stations were "progressively returning to normal".

Photos that AsiaOne took inside Tai Seng station show that the lights were back on inside the carriages but services had yet to resume.

Normal train service had resumed by 7.30pm, SMRT said as it ended the free bus service. 

The operator said that the faulty train was coupled with another train and withdrawn to the depot.

"We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused to your evening commute," SMRT said.

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In September, commuters were similarly affected when the Circle Line suffered train service disruptions for two consecutive days.

Alfred Chua, who was travelling from HarbourFront to Holland Village, told The Straits Times that the train he was on had stalled at one-north station at around 8pm.

"When the lights suddenly went off, there were some on the train who gasped," the 33-year-old said, adding that the air-conditioning system also stopped working.

According to SMRT, a fire had broken out in one of the power system cubicles at Kim Chuan Depot, causing the power to trip.

This disrupted the power supply for the Circle Line, causing delays.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com