Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat visits damaged EWL MRT tracks, explains why repairs need time

Restoring full train service on the East-West Line (EWL) is a challenging task due to the extensive damage to the MRT tracks and equipment, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat on Thursday (Sept 26) night.

Chee was visiting the Ulu Pandan Depot, where he met some of the 300 engineers and technicians from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and rail operator SMRT who "have been working day and night" since a faulty train caused service disruption on Wednesday morning.

"As the damage is very extensive, they have to do this carefully and it requires a lot of time," he told the media.

A bogie — an undercarriage with wheels — of a defective train had derailed on the track between Dover and Clementi stations, causing 34 rail breaks along a 1.6-kilometer stretch of track, said LTA and SMRT on Thursday evening.

Three point machines, the third rail that supplies power as well as several power cables and rail clips were also damaged and have to be replaced.

At the depot, Chee highlighted how each rail segment weighs more than one tonne and that it would be "an effort" to replace over 30 of them. The point machines will also have to be carefully calibrated and aligned before use.

Thanking all transport workers for their hard work and dedication, he said: "They are doing their best to restore full train services as quickly as possible, or to do so safely, and then to also conduct the necessary checks and testing to make sure that when we resume full train services, it will be safe for commuters."

Chee also thanked SBS Transit and Tower Transit for providing bridging buses, and commuters for their understanding and patience and for showing care and concern for staff.

"The One Transport family, together with our operators, our workers, we pledge that we will do our best to finish the repair works in a safe manner as quickly as possible."

Currently, there is still no train service between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations.

LTA also said in another update on Thursday night that SMRT is aiming to restore full service on Monday, after plans for a shuttle train service between Jurong East and Buona Vista on Friday were dropped to prioritise repairs.

Free regular and bridging bus services remain available for affected commuters.

ALSO READ: We just have to work around it, say some commuters as MRT EWL disruption continues into third day

lim.kewei@asiaone.com