Written Reply to Parliamentary Questions on Measures to Enhance Resilience and System-Wide Response in Light of Recent MRT Disruptions

Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     what are the top 10 bus services near stations affected by the East-West MRT Line disruption on 25 September 2024 that saw (i) a week-on-week increase in ridership and (ii) the highest ridership levels; and 

b.     whether these bus services will be prioritised for future service enhancements and/or excluded from bus service rationalisations.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     what is the end-of-life date for the 48 first-generation MRT trains which have been in service for 35 years; 

b.     whether these trains currently pose increased derailment or safety risks while carrying passengers; 

c.     what is the failure rate of these trains compared to newer trains; 

d.     why are these trains not replaced earlier; and 

e.     how do their (i) maintenance regimen and (ii) maintenance costs differ from that of newer train models.

Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi asked the Minister for Transport with regard to the East-West MRT Line disruption in September 2024 

a.     whether there are vulnerability concerns for further rail fractures in other parts of the MRT line; 

b.     what steps are being taken to reasonably prevent similar disruptions in future; and 

c.     what are the lessons learnt from the contingency responses employed to further minimise disruption for commuter journeys, especially during peak periods.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     what is the provisional mean kilometres between failures (MKBF) for the second and third quarters of 2024 for MRT trains across each line; 

b.     whether there are benchmark MKBF utilised by the Ministry for assessing the reliability of each line and, if so, whether they can be disclosed publicly; and 

c.     whether the Ministry will consider imposing more elaborate inspection requirements on MRT lines that have persistently lower MKBF than the overall 12-month moving average across the train network.

Reply by Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat:

1.     These questions will be answered in the Ministerial Statement “A Safe, Reliable, and Resilient Rail System” at the Sitting on 15 October 2024.