Power fault causes major disruption on East-West Line

No service between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations today as repairs continue

- Fatimah Mujibah

There will be no regular train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista on Sept 26, marking a second day of disruptions for commuters on the East-West Line (EWL).

This comes after a power fault halted normal passenger service between Boon Lay and Queenstown stations for most of the day on Sept 25.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a statement late on Sept 25 that engineers from LTA and train operator SMRT started recovery works in the afternoon, and will continue into the night.

"However, as the damage to the tracks is extensive, more time is required to do the necessary repairs and replacements," the authority said.

Both SMRT and LTA will check all first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) trains overnight, before they are put into service, LTA added.

A defective mechanical component of a first-generation KHI train contributed to the power fault on Sept 25.

In a Facebook post, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said: "LTA will do a thorough investigation to ascertain what happened and identify areas for improvement."

Separately, the authority said: "LTA and SMRT will perform a rigorous investigation into the cause of the incident and provide an update in due course."

There will be free regular bus services between Boon Lay and Queenstown stations on Sept 26, as well as free bridging bus services between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations. Also, there will be a shuttle train service between Buona Vista and Queenstown stations, and also between Jurong East and Boon Lay stations at 10-minute intervals.

"We are deeply sorry and thank all commuters for their understanding and patience as we do our best to recover train services on the affected stretch of the East-West Line," SMRT said.