Circle Line's reliability will improve once it is complete: SMRT chief

50% of breakdowns on line from April 2023 to March 2024 due to upgrading works

- Lee Nian Tjoe

Half of the breakdowns on the Circle Line (CCL) between April 2023 and March 2024 were due to upgrading works to integrate existing systems with the line's three final MRT stations slated to be ready in 2026, operator SMRT said.

The reliability of the MRT line "will go straight up" when the full line is complete, said SMRT group chief executive Ngien Hoon Ping on July 31.

The CCL was the least reliable among five MRT lines in Singapore and the only one that posted a dip in performance, based on the latest rail reliability figures released by the authorities in July. The Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) was not included in the report.

CCL trains went an average of 1.03 million train-km between delays in the 12 months ending March 2024, sliding from 1.21 million train-km in 2023 and 1.84 million train-km in 2022.

The line's final three stops will close the loop between HarbourFront and Marina Bay.

Mr Ngien said the work to complete this final stage and integrate it with the rest of the line is highly complex, as multiple interconnected systems are involved. Done within the allocated window of time for engineering work on the line, the project affects the execution of regular maintenance work.

The SMRT-run North-South and East-West MRT lines have improved in reliability, boosted by the completion of a multi-year overhaul in 2023.