Late start for Bukit Panjang LRT due to track fault

Operator SMRT first tweeted at 5:33am that commuters could expect a 30-minute delay due to the fault. It added that free regular bus and bridging bus services had been made available. It was only at 6:40am that SMRT announced that train service had commenced.

In an update on its Facebook page at 6:50am, SMRT said that the Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) would only be running six trains - half the usual number - during morning peak on Wednesday due to a track fault on Tuesday evening that had damaged the current collector devices on 15 trains.

"Free bus and bus bridging services are now serving commuters along the BPLRT route. Additional SMRT staff have also been deployed along affected stops to assist passengers," said the Facebook post. According to SMRT, engineering staff had worked through the night to assess and rectify the fault, with initial investigations revealing that a damaged rail joint had detached the devices on the affected trains.

The problem led to delays on Tuesday night from about 10:00pm till the end of service. SMRT added that the damaged trains are now at the BPLRT depot at Ten Mile Junction. "Investigations into the incident are continuing even as engineering staff work to repair the 15 trains. We apologise for the inconvenience caused," it added.