A Commuter’s Bad Luck: Two Days of Train Turbulence
Meet Ms Anne – The Master of Mishaps
There’s nothing quite like starting your week with a blackout, a platform door glitch, and a fatal track‑point fault. 29‑year‑old Ms Anne from Jurong says her life feels like a playlist of “Oops!” moments and she’s not even breaking into tears.
First Crisis: The “Blackout” of Tuesday
In the middle of the night, a massive power outage struck 19 districts across the island, leaving everyone’s homes in the dark. Ms Anne’s kitchen (and presumably her brain) went cold. The blackout made the day start with a bang (and a polite insistence that the lights stay out).
Second Crisis: Platform Door Go‑of
- 24 h later, the East‑West Line (EWL) was stalled by a faulty platform screen door.
- Commuters like Ms Anne were forced to take “bumper‑style” rides—or the fare‑increase wrapped around them for an extra $10.
Third Crisis: Track‑Point Outrage
Yesterday’s headline‑maker came from a malfunctioning track point—the tiny switch that guides trains from one track to another. The issue roped in a 7‑hour delay that sent commuters scrambling to add 40 minutes to their travel time. A full 900+ commuters got tangled in the traffic jam.
SMRT’s Spin‑around (and Stick‑up!) Plan
SMRT launched a progressive recovery:
- 7.10 am: First warning posted.
- 8.45 am: A Facebook post announced a temporary shutdown between Clementi & Jurong East, with a big apology.
- 2 pm: Services came back to life. The track‑point was fixed at 1.20 pm after a 5‑minute pause during each engineer’s visit.
During the rush, they kept trains running—just slower. Free bridging buses were offered from Boon Lay to Queenstown, simply because the universe needed busier traffic at that moment. Job‑urgencies, like Ms Anne’s, were “saved” by adding extra trains (4 to Jurong East, 2 to Clementi). (No celebrities were named, but that’s the safety of a real‑life TV drama.)
Ms Anne’s Daily Dread
When she saw the delay notice at Pioneer Station at 8.15 am, she thought, “Well, here goes again.” She tried the free shuttle bus but was forced to brink the drivers onto a merely normal feeder bus. A quick 20‑minute crab‑walk on a JustGrab car cost her double the usual fare and a lesson in how fast she’s really late for work.
Colleagues and “Calm” Commuter Attitudes
- National serviceman Tan Yong Quan, 22, and part‑time student Er Yan Rong, 20, both claimed an hour of tardiness.
- Another 34‑year‑old exec, who chose anonymity, rolled her eyes and said, “Oh, here we go again.”
Minister’s Final Word
State Minister for Transport Janil Puthucheary declared that stopping trains to fix the fault would have “a very big impact on commuter experience.” Although the service was slowed, the “balance” sounded more like a compromise that kept commuters in move, even if it meant a longer ride. The whole incident became a lesson in patience, scheduled repairs, and the power of walk‑when‑you-can.
Bottom Line: One Week, Zero Luck
With Ms Anne’s story echoing across the city, commuters, train operators, and government officials collectively felt that this week was too short. Amid the chaos, they found one bright spot: a reminder that even chaos gets a way back to normal—one track, one bus, and one moment at a time.
