A power fault which occurred on the North-East Line (NEL) caused a service disruption of up to nine hours yesterday. Train services between Buangkok and Punggol were disrupted at around 6:00am, and resumed partially at 8:40am.

However, service for the three-station stretch was fully restored only at 3:00pm - nine hours after the incident happened.

Transport operator SBS Transit said the disruption was caused by the dislocation of a structure which supports the wire through which the trains draw power.

Around 40 shuttle buses were dispatched to ferry passengers between the affected stations. Normal bus services were also free for stranded commuters. However, some commuters who were stranded for up to an hour were left frustrated.

The NEL has experienced at least four service disruptions this year, including this latest one.