Circle Line train services fully resume after signalling fault

SINGAPORE: A signalling fault between Paya Lebar and Marymount MRT stations on the Circle Line caused delays on Tuesday (Feb 11) morning.

In a Facebook post at 10.20am, train operator SMRT said that the signalling fault, which began at around 8.11am, affected train operations at eight stations.

"The fault caused trains to stop, and power to the affected sector was tripped," it said, adding that the power was restored within five minutes and train movement resumed at 8.30am.

SMRT also said a "sluggish" Central Automatic Train System affected controllers' ability to manage train movements efficiently. It then took about 30 minutes for all of the Circle Line to return to normal service.

"During the morning peak, key interchange stations such as Serangoon, Buona Vista, Botanic Gardens, and Bishan typically require one to two trains to clear crowds," said SMRT.

"Due to this delay, it took about three trains to ease congestion."

The operator said station staff were deployed to assist commuters, and public announcements were made at the affected stations.

SMRT added that French train maker ALSTOM has developed a software patch to address this issue. The patch is scheduled for installation on Saturday.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused to commuters," it said.

Tuesday's disruption is the third to affect train services in less than a week.

On Monday, morning commuters faced delays on the North-East Line due to a signalling fault at Buangkok MRT station.

The disruption lasted for over an hour, with SBS Transit informing commuters to expect additional travel time of up to 30 minutes.

This incident followed another last Friday, when train services on the North-South and East-West lines were delayed by a derailed engineering vehicle.

The incident took place in the morning and prevented some trains from leaving Bishan depot. The tracks were eventually cleared in the evening.