Maintenance shortfalls behind water pump failure that caused massive NSL disruption: Report
Published: 12:55 PM, October 12, 2017
SINGAPORE — Inadequate maintenance is believed to be behind the malfunctioning water-pumping system blamed for last weekend’s North-South Line (NSL) train disruption, Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao reported on Thursday (Oct 12).
“The pump was not operable during a critial period due to a lack of maintenance,” the report said, citing anonymous sources.
Zaobao added that SMRT staff overseeing equipment maintenance could be transferred out of their posts for failing in their duties.
The newspaper also reported that SMRT’s management was mulling over the staff transfers, although the company did not confirm the matter. The report gave no indication as to how many employees from the transport operator could be affected.
TODAY’s queries to SMRT and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on what caused the malfunction, and when the pumps were last serviced and how often they were maintained, have gone unanswered since the start of this week.
The LTA had earlier disclosed that a malfunctioning water-pumping system was behind the underground tunnel flooding that started on Saturday evening and halted services across six stops on the 26-station NSL.
The faulty system sent water overflowing from the stormwater sump pit, where rainwater accumulates, into the tunnel through the rail tracks where trains from Bishan travel underground towards Braddell.
SMRT was forced to de-activate the trackside power supply as a safety precaution, crippling services from Ang Mo Kio to Newton stations until Sunday afternoon. The disruption affected the journeys of thousands in one of the worst rail trip-ups since 2011.
A spokesperson for SBS Transit, which operates the Downtown Line, told TODAY that it had conducted extensive checks on its water-pumping systems and “have not found any issues”.
continue reading here :
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...ruption-report
So now the taiji blame starts . Still nobody come forward to accept accountability and responsibility . It is obvious that SMRT & LTA and Ministry Of Transport are ALL responsible for the disruption in services . Such wordl class transport system Singapore have. So you still want to vote for PAP ? So why doesn’t SMRT replaces its CEO Desmond Kuek and its Managing Director ???
Vivian Balakrishnan takes Khaw Boon Wan’s place to show support for SMRT staff
Foreign affairs minister steps in for transport minister.
By Belmont Lay | 6 mins
Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan has taken the initiative to come out to replace Minister of Transport Khaw Boon Wan in showing support for SMRT staff.
This was after Khaw has not said a thing since this weekend’s North-South Line MRT flooding and breakdown, which saw SMRT at the receiving end of much public anger and a lot of media scrutiny.
In a Facebook post on Oct. 12, 2017, Balakrishnan is seen hosting bus and train staff from SBS Transit and SMRT to a morale-lifting breakfast:
Transport minister silent
Since last weekend’s MRT breakdown on the North-South Line that affected tens of thousands of Singaporeans due to flooded train tracks, transport minister Khaw has not addressed the public regarding what happened.
Khaw made three Facebook posts since the weekend but did not mention the flooded train tracks at all.
continue reading here :
https://mothership.sg/2017/10/vivian...or-smrt-staff/
So why is Mr Khaw keeping silent as a Transport Minister ? Still want to vote for him and PAP ?
SMRT replaces senior staff days after 20-hour NSL disruption: Internal memo
Rail operator says it’s ‘strengthening its building and facilities team’ following disruption
By Kenneth Cheng and Cynthia Choo
Published: 8:45 PM, October 12, 2017
Updated: 9:19 PM, October 12, 2017
SINGAPORE — Rail operator SMRT has replaced a senior staff member involved in maintenance, according to an internal memo on Thursday (Oct 12).
This came hours after the publication of a news report which blamed inadequate maintenance of a water-pumping system for the tunnel flooding that disrupted train services for more than 20 hours on the North-South Line (NSL) last weekend.
Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao, which broke the news, added that SMRT staff overseeing equipment maintenance could be transferred out of their posts for failing in their duties.
The Zaobao report, however, gave no indication of how many employees could be affected.
In the SMRT circular, a copy of which was seen by TODAY, the rail operator said Mr Siu Yow Wee has been appointed, with immediate effect, to take over Mr Ng Tek Poo in running its building and services division.
Mr Ng was previously SMRT’s vice-president for maintenance, while Mr Siu was its director of station operations for the North-South and East-West lines.
In the memo, which was sent to all employees, the company did not lay out the reasons for the change and gave no details of Mr Ng’s next appointment, if any.
Based on SMRT’s annual report for 2016, when Mr Ng was vice-president for procurement and supply, he had been in charge of procurement and logistics, overseeing areas such as inventory management and warehouse operations. He joined SMRT in 2000 as a maintenance manager in building services, the report said.
In 2012, Mr Ng, then vice-president for maintenance, was one of the SMRT staff members who took the stand at a Committee of Inquiry hearing into the massive train breakdowns on the NSL in December 2011, which affected more than 200,000 commuters.
The first major breakdown on Dec 15 that year lasted five hours. Two days later, Singaporeans awoke to news of another trip-up that dragged on for seven hours, leading Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to order a public inquiry.
When contacted on Thursday, SMRT’s vice-president for corporate communications Patrick Nathan told TODAY that the company would not comment on staff matters, but it was strengthening its building and facilities team in light of last weekend’s disruption.
Zaobao’s report on Thursday claimed that inadequate maintenance was behind the water-pump failure that caused the disruption on the NSL.
“The pump was not operable during a critical period due to a lack of maintenance,” the report added, citing anonymous sources.
TODAY’s queries to the rail operator and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on what caused the water-pumping system to malfunction, and when the pumps were last serviced and how often they were maintained, have gone unanswered since the start of this week.
The disruption, one of the worst since 2011, began on Saturday evening and thwarted the journeys of thousands of commuters until Sunday afternoon.
continue reading here :
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...-internal-memo
So I wonder when will the CEO and Managing Director ( Trains ) be replaced ? Why only punish the workers and not punish the management ?
Will SMRT management be held accountable by the authorities?
Published on 2017-10-13 by The Online Citizen
by Anthony Ng
I have been very disturbed by the continuing saga, the flooding tunnel as the most recent, with SMRT. I’m even more disturbed with the deafening silence from all those responsible, no less the Minister himself. What I fear is that eventually the blame game will repeat itself and some minion/s will be the scapegoat. Here I’m referring to how the Director of Control Operations had to be the fall guy for the two fatalities on 22 March 2016.
What I’m writing is hopefully my preemptive take to avert another poor minion casualty in SMRT. I declare that I have never worked nor have friends or relatives working in SMRT. Nor am I associated in any way with SMRT. What I’m writing is purely objective. But I must admit that my letter is somewhat “politically sensitive” as I cannot contain my disappointment any longer. Believe me, I tried to tone down as much as I could. I pray and hope that you will find in your heart a tad empathy for me and those affected to see it to print.
When Teo Wee Kiat as Director of Control Operations of SMRT, was fined $55,000 for the accident on 22 March 2016, I scratched my head. Was he solely responsible, just because he was/is in charge of operations? Shouldn’t the ascending pecking order be similarly held responsible? Ultimately the CEO, and others should be held accountable too. If the CEO had done his job well, no such negligence would have happened.
continue reading here :
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/201...e-authorities/
With all these service disruptions happening on an increasing alarming rate what happens if one fine day someone gets injured and or died while on the mrt ? Will SMRT ; SBS Transit ; LTA ; Khaw be held accountability and responsibility ?
Train fault along Downtown Line; DTL3 open house disrupted
15 Oct 2017 12:59PM (Updated: 15 Oct 2017 01:47PM)
SINGAPORE: A train fault along the Downtown line on Sunday (Oct 15) suspended train service between Bukit Panjang and Beauty World stations.
SBS Transit said free bus rides were available near affected stations at designated bus stops.
Trains services resumed at 1.21pm, SBS Transit said in an update.
The incident also disrupted services along Downtown Line 3 (DTL3) forcing commuters to alight from trains at some stations during open house events before its official launch on Oct 21.
Channel NewsAsia understands that there is no train or track fault on the DTL3.
Some commuters took to social media saying they were experiencing delays and heard announcements that a “track fault” has occurred.
Others said they were asked to disembark at some stations.
Read more at
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...rupted-9312616
New DTL3 also have problem . So how Mr Khaw ??? Still think your mrt rail reliability still good ? Still want to vote for PAP ?
BREAKING: Downtown Line 3 suffers track fault on first day of soft launch
October 15, 2017
UPDATE: SBS has just tweeted that services on Downtown Line 3 have resumed as per normal. Adding that services between Bukit Panjang and Beautyworld are also normal – after a breakdown earlier today – and that bridging bus services are still available, SBS apologised.
Services on Downtown Line 3 have been disrupted due to a track fault today – the very day of the line’s soft launch.
Commuters, who had been invited to an open house where they could go on free train rides, were told to alight at various stations following the service disruption.
Bridging services were deployed to aid disgruntled commuters.
Affected trains were halted for about 15 minutes on the line and an elderly commuter in one of the crowded train compartments was seen berating an SBS staffer, according to early reports.
This comes after 8 religious leaders blessed the Downtown Line 3 late last month when they were invited to try out a stretch of the new line by Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.
Khaw had said then:
“The completion of #DTL3 will cap more than a decade of intense work. We are all eagerly awaiting the opening, and especially those who live along this new stretch of MRT line. For other commuters, DTL3 will be another way to connect to the east!”
continue reading here :
http://www.theindependent.sg/breakin...f-soft-launch/
Even after blessings by religious leaders the mrt still break down . Is God trying to sign a signal to Mr Khaw ? Where are you Mr Khaw ???
Confusion, hiccups for commuters during Downtown Line open house
A train fault, which disrupted service between Bukit Panjang and Beauty World for about 45 minutes until 1.21pm, affected commuters at DTL’s new stations as well.
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By Alfred Chua
Published: 4:10 PM, October 15, 2017
Updated: 4:25 PM, October 15, 2017
SINGAPORE — A day out with the family to check out the Downtown Line’s new stations took an interesting twist on Sunday (Oct 15) for sales manager Joanne Chew.
The 29-year-old resident of Tampines West was at the Bedok North station when she, her husband and mother-in-law were told to disembark from the train – after waiting 10 minutes for it to move.
“Half the lights in the train had suddenly shut off. Then we were told to get off the train because of a train fault,” she told TODAY.
Describing the “confusion” at the Downtown Line 3’s (DTL3) Open House, Ms Chew said she was “surprised” by the hiccup.
The Open House on Sunday for DTL3 – the third leg of the line, consisting of 16 new stations from Fort Canning to Expo – offered free rides to commuters and featured games, activities and performances.
But a train fault, which disrupted service between Bukit Panjang and Beauty World for about 45 minutes until 1.21pm, also affected commuters at DTL’s new stations.
SBS Transit, which operates the Downtown Line, tweeted about the service disruption from Bukit Panjang to Beauty World, but has not explained why train service on the newest leg of the line was affected.
When TODAY was on a Bukit Panjang-bound train at Bedok Reservoir station at around 12.20pm, the train stopped at the station for about 15 minutes, and announcements were made about a 10-minute delay due to a train fault.
There was some confusion among commuters, as they waited for the train doors to close and for service to resume. Some exited the train cabin, wondering what had happened.
The train later stopped at Bedok North for around 10 minutes.
Mr Jason Fu, 35, a real estate agent was at Kaki Bukit MRT station with his family. They had started from Tampines East because they had wanted to collect stamps as part of the Open House games.
Mr Fu and his wife said the train stopped at every stop from Tampines East for about five to 10 mins.
His wife, who only wanted to be known as Ms Ong, said that she observed that at Bedok North station, the doors had nearly shut on a passenger, as well as another with a personal mobility device.
While Mr Fu felt that these hiccups were to be expected given it was the first day of passenger operations, Ms Ong, an assistant marketing manager, felt that it was “not a pleasant experience”.
continue reading here :
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...ine-open-house
What is train fault ? New equipment not working properly ? Is the mrt safe for travel or not ? So how Mr Khaw ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sionglim
the vp isit kena sack,or still holding a job in mrt??
You don’t know how to read is it ?
In full: SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek on ‘deep-seated cultural issues’ behind history of service disruptions
SMRT president and group CEO Desmond Kuek says he takes full responsibility for “all that has happened under my watch”. TODAY File Photo
Published: 6:30 PM, October 16, 2017
Updated: 6:48 PM, October 16, 2017
In a two-page statement, SMRT’s president and group chief executive officer Desmond Kuek apologised to commuters for the Oct 7 20-hour service disruption on the North-South Line, one of the worst in the transport operator’s history. He also acknowledged that “many of our major disruptions in the past have been attributed in some part, or all, to human error or failure”. This is his statement in full:
On behalf of all of us in SMRT, I apologise to members of the public who were affected by last weekend’s disruption. We are all deeply pained by what happened.
Many have asked what SMRT has done since the Dec 2011 incidents. Please allow me to address these questions upfront. Since 2012, SMRT has gone into overdrive to address maintenance issues arising from age-related serviceability issues.
We beefed up and renewed the Trains team. Staff strength increased from 3,500 to 5,300 today, with nearly triple the number of Engineers to nearly 500 now. Our SMRT Institute was transformed to better meet the professional and vocational training requirements of the workforce that had been significantly expanded to meet the intensified demands. We also tied everyone’s performance incentives to a basket of measures, of which safety and reliability was given the greatest weight.
We subjected the company to an independent review for asset management through international ISO 55001 certification and have achieved level 3 (out of a possible 4) to date. This is a serious undertaking in our concerted effort to strengthen process discipline.
continue reading here :
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...l-flooding-nsl
No need to talk so much . The only honourable thing left for you and your management team is to resign and take accountability and responsibility for your failures on the job . Already 2 people have died on your watch .
SMRT steps up anti-flood checks, overhauls maintenance team structure following NSL tunnel flooding
To prevent a repeat of the underground MRT tunnel flooding two weekends ago, which completely shut down train services along six stations on the North-South Line, rail operator SMRT has put in place several flood protection measures. Photo: SCDF
By Louisa Tang
Published: 6:30 PM, October 16, 2017
Updated: 6:37 PM, October 16, 2017
SINGAPORE — To prevent a repeat of the underground MRT tunnel flooding two weekends ago, rail operator SMRT has put in place several flood protection measures.
All sensors and water pumps will be checked monthly from now on, rather than every three months. Every pump and float switch at tunnel portals will also be changed by the end of the year.
At a media briefing on Monday (Oct 16), SMRT revealed that a faulty float switch caused train services to break down along six stations on the North-South Line over the weekend of October 7 to 8. Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan also blamed poor maintenance of the anti-flooding system for the disruption.
Float switches activate the pumps when water in the storm water pit reaches a specific level. The malfunction led to water overflowing from the pit during a downpour on Oct 7, entering the tunnel through the rail tracks where trains from Bishan MRT Station go underground towards Braddell MRT Station.
The tunnel portal’s water pumps and float switches at Bishan were last replaced in 2011, while the pump system was last checked in June this year.
SMRT Trains’ chief executive Lee Ling Wee said that the servicing of the pumping system should have been done in September, but it was deferred till Oct 12 because staff members claimed they could not find a time slot for track access.
To guard further against flash floods, SMRT is introducing a remote monitoring system that can send text alerts to employees when there are high water levels.
SMRT will also strengthen its standard operating procedures, and its cooperation and coordination with agencies such as the Singapore Civil Defence Force and national water agency PUB.
At Bishan MRT Station, a new control panel, improved switch design and new radar sensors will be added to monitor water levels in the sump pit.
Immediately after the flooding incident, SMRT checked the pump systems of sump pits at MRT stations from Lavender to Kallang, Kembangan to Bedok, Redhill to Tiong Bahru, and Expo to Changi Airport. All defects found were rectified.
SMRT Trains has also recently restructured its engineering and maintenance teams “for greater accountability and focus”, it said.
A maintenance and engineering systems group was set up, led by a newly appointed chief maintenance officer, who will oversee all maintenance functions.
continue reading here :
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...unnel-flooding
So will there be no more flooding in the tunnel ?