Breakdown on North-South MRT Line
SINGAPORE: A second MRT disruption in two days -
this time along the North-South Line, affecting thousands of
evening peak-hour commuters.
Train services along both directions of the
North-South Line were affected from Marina Bay to Braddell stations
on Thursday evening.
"Train services between Braddell and Marina Bay MRT
stations are disrupted," said a SMRT statement. "Passengers should
take alternative modes of transport or the bus bridging service
available between Bishan and Marina Bay MRT stations."
"Power rail problem" caused the breakdown, said an SMRT
spokesperson.
Emergency services were spotted outside MRT stations, and peak-hour
traffic was also affected, with traffic congestion reported on
Orchard Road between Dhoby Gaut and City Hall MRT stations.
Channel NewsAsia understands that limited services for SMRT's
southbound line resumed later in the night.
Passengers described scenes of confusion, as they tried to make
sense of the situation.
Some even used a fire extinguisher to break the windows of a train
stuck underground due to lack of ventilation.
Channel NewsAsia viewer Nizam Rahim sent in a picture of his wife
walking on the track in the tunnel at the Dhoby Gaut station.
One commuter, Adam, said he and hundreds of passengers were stuck
on the train travelling from Somerset to Orchard.
The electricity appeared to have been cut off, as the train was in
total darkness.
Neither did the air-conditioner seem to be working.
Adam said: "We have been stranded there for one hour, and it is
very hot and stuffy. The train doors are all closed. The light also
suddenly (switched off), so it's total darkness.
"The train doors (are) also not open, and it is terrible.
"A lot of people angry, banging on the windows to break the
windows, I don't know whether (the windows) can (be) broken or not,
so that the air can come in. It's very stuffy, it's like a
sauna."
Adam later told Channel NewsAsia that the train appeared to have
been towed to Orchard MRT station.
Someone in one of the carriages then forced the train doors open,
freeing the trapped passengers.
Another commuter, who wanted to be known as Mr Tan, spoke to
Channel NewsAsia from Raffles Place MRT station.
He was on his way to work, and heard several announcements asking
passengers to avoid the North-South line and to take the East-West
line instead.
Mr Tan said: "A lot of us all have problems. There are so many
people coming downstairs and people telling them the train is not
moving anymore. I think the crowd is getting very big.
"The only thing I know is that I'm late for work, so I have to take
alternative route. So I quickly ran upstairs to get a taxi,
hopefully I can get a taxi. Now I'm still trying to get a taxi
actually."
Another spoke to Channel NewsAsia from Toa Payoh station, and said
there were long queues of people, who seemed to be requesting
refunds.
- CNA/ck
