Government to Work with Rail Operators to Implement Recommendations from the Rail Reliability Taskforce

1.     The Ministry of Transport has reviewed and accepted the recommendations from the Rail Reliability Taskforce, to enhance the reliability of our rail system.

Background

2.     The Taskforce was formed on 19 September 2025 to improve rail reliability and joint responses to service disruptions. A five-member Independent Advisory Panel (IAP), comprising seasoned international leaders who have held key engineering and management roles in the rail sector, was also appointed to provide strategic advice and technical expertise to the Taskforce.

3.     On 30 December 2025, the Taskforce submitted a set of recommendations that addressed the rail incidents that occurred between July to September 2025, as well as across the three key areas of asset management, workforce capabilities, and rail service recovery and commuter management.

4.     In developing these recommendations, the Taskforce conducted detailed technical workshops, site visits, ground observations, and interviews with operational and technical staff over a three-month period. The IAP was also an invaluable source of feedback to the Taskforce, including their sharing of international best practices for rail maintenance, operations, and incident response. The Ministry thanks the Taskforce for their comprehensive efforts in engaging stakeholders and reviewing current rail systems and processes to develop the key recommendations below.

5.     The Ministry accepts the Taskforce’s recommendation to prioritise and shorten the time taken for the renewal of three core systems which are most likely to cause longer service delays if they malfunction, namely trains, signalling, and power. To enable the implementation of timely renewals of these systems, we acknowledge that more engineering hours will be needed to carry out works efficiently and safely. The Ministry will work with the LTA and rail operators to optimise the schedule for system renewal works, and ensure sufficient alternative transport options if service adjustments are needed.

6.     The Taskforce also recommended: (a) enhancing the management of spare components and parts to ensure that they are available when needed; (b) leveraging technology and data to implement more comprehensive and standardised condition monitoring across our rail network; as well as (c) augmenting the rail maintenance workforce with more extensive use of robotics and automation. The Ministry notes that this is an expansion of work that the LTA and rail operators have embarked on for specific lines and systems. The Ministry accepts these recommendations as a holistic, sector-wide approach to proactively detect and resolve faults before they cause a disruption. This is critical in a rail system that is growing and ageing at the same time. Digitalisation and automation are also crucial to keeping up with maintenance demands while keeping manpower and costs sustainable.

Deepening Workforce Capabilities

7.     The Ministry accepts the Taskforce’s recommendations to better prepare the rail workforce for future challenges, by (i) strengthening the role of the Singapore Rail Academy in harmonising and raising standards across the workforce, (ii) enhancing the certification framework for rail engineers and technicians, and (iii) promoting more structured and frequent staff rotations between LTA and the rail operators. This will ensure common training standards across the rail sector that are not only subject to professional oversight, but are also industry-led and aligned with operational needs. Beyond strengthening the rail workforce of today, the Ministry recognises that these efforts are also needed to better position the rail sector to be able to offer high-value and skilled jobs in a digitalised environment.

Improving Rail Service Recovery and Commuter Management

8.     The Ministry also accepts the Taskforce’s recommendations to strengthen service recovery processes and ensure that commuters can continue on their journeys in the event of a disruption. We recognise that despite best efforts to maintain and improve rail reliability, there is a need to strengthen service recovery processes for commuters as disruptions cannot be fully eliminated. Better management of our commuters’ experience during disruptions is critical to preserving confidence in our public transport system. We note that the LTA and rail operators have begun making improvements to wayfinding on the ground and via online platforms, and will ensure that these efforts adopt a commuter-centric approach to better support commuters during service disruptions.

Implementing the Recommendations

9.     The Ministry will work closely with LTA, the rail operators and relevant stakeholders on the implementation of the Taskforce’s recommendations, which will be rolled out progressively over the next few years across the rail network. Some of the recommendations will require upfront investment, which the Ministry and LTA will co-invest in, as part of the $1 billion that has been committed to improve rail reliability earlier in 2025.

10.     Maintaining high standards of rail reliability to meet the expectations of our commuters is a continuous and ongoing process, that will require close collaboration among the tripartite partners. The Taskforce’s recommendations reflect a commitment to deliver a reliable and resilient rail system that our commuters can be proud of, and the Ministry of Transport will continue to strongly support the efforts of the rail sector as they work towards this goal.