BREAKDOWN AT BUKIT PANJANG LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT

Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Minister for Transport (a) why is the Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit constantly breaking down despite repeated assurances from the Ministry that service standards are up; and (b) what kind of safety measures are in place for such a driverless transport system, when train wheels can become dislodged in the operation process.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: The Bukit Panjang LRT system has had many teething problems in its initial years. But in recent months, it has largely stabilised. Until the recent breakdown, it has performed to the high service standard of 99.7% that we demand. (Meeting this standard means a maximum service disruption of less than four minutes over a 20-hour daily operation.) The average service availability from June to September was 99.74%. This compares well with other similar systems in the world.

The recent breakdown occurred on 21st October at around 6.40 am, when one guide wheel was dislodged, causing a power trip. (A guide wheel helps to steer the vehicle towards the desired direction, unlike a normal wheel which helps to propel the vehicle forward.) The spindle that held the guide wheel grated against the rail and damaged 900 metres of it. SLRT had to replace the damaged sections. The repair was time-consuming due to the extent of the damage. Each connection had to be dismantled and re-installed carefully. Extensive checks and trial runs had to be conducted to ascertain the safety of the entire LRT system before commencing service. Partial service resumed on 24th October at 6.30 pm and full service resumed on 26th October at 12 noon.

The incident caused a lot of inconvenience to commuters but it did not pose any safety implication for them. In any case, having a driver on board would not have prevented the occurrence of the incident. (BP LRT is not an unmanned system, just that technology has allowed it to be controlled remotely by the crew in the Operations Control Centre. The crew constantly monitors the system and carries out swift recovery actions when faults are detected.)

The Land Transport Authority has directed SMRT, the parent company of the SLRT, to investigate the incident. One of its terms of reference is to look into measures to prevent similar incidents from re-occurring. The investigation team is expected to complete its investigation within four weeks.