11 Nov EWL track point fault flagged by commuters, unreported by SMRT online amid recent MRT disruptions
Commuters alerted one another to an East–West Line track point fault on 11 November 2025, as SMRT issued no social media updates, adding to concerns over a series of recent MRT disruptions.
- Commuters flagged an East–West Line track point fault on 11 November 2025, noting no official update from SMRT’s social platforms.
- The delay added to a series of recent MRT disruptions reported across multiple lines.
- New LTA data showed MRT reliability declined for the second consecutive month.
SINGAPORE: Commuters travelling on the East–West Line on 11 November 2025 were the first to flag a track point fault that caused extended waiting times between Tanah Merah and Pasir Ris.
According to information boards at affected stations, services were disrupted throughout the afternoon, yet no announcement was issued on any of SMRT’s social media platforms.
Online users said the incident formed part of a continuing pattern of MRT disruptions that had occurred in recent months.
Many commuters shared their experiences and frustrations, noting that they relied on station signage and peer updates rather than official digital channels.
Speaking to MS News, 25-year-old Bryan Yeo said he first noticed the delay at around 4.15pm on Tuesday, when information boards at Changi Airport MRT station displayed warnings of extended waiting times.
Commuters travelling between Tanah Merah and Pasir Ris were initially advised to expect an additional 15 minutes in travel time.
By about 4.30pm, however, the waiting time had reportedly increased to 25 minutes.
Several commuters also noted a complete lack of train movement at Pasir Ris at approximately 4.45pm.
Train services reportedly resumed before 6.21pm.
Netizens Share Experiences of the Disruption
On Reddit, many users shared their experiences and frustrations regarding the incident.
Another commuter recalled difficulties earlier in the day, saying: “This morning kena toward Tanah Merah around 8+. Train fault morning… barely reach office on time.”
A separate user commented that the station announcement at Raffles Place stated an additional 55 minutes of travel time for commuters heading from Tanah Merah to Pasir Ris.
Comments Highlight Series of Recent Faults
Some users pointed out that the disruption was part of a wider pattern of MRT issues in recent months.
One user noted that while the East–West Line delay was unfolding, the Circle Line was also facing a delay due to a train fault, while the North–South Line later experienced an evening delay caused by a platform door fault at Marina South Pier.
“Red line has been having delays too. Nothing official but the train has been stopping multiple times in the direction towards Marina Bay due to ‘train ahead is still at the station, congestion’,” another user added.
One commenter even compiled a list of MRT faults that occurred between July and November.
Criticism Over Reliability and System Capacity
Other commenters expressed deeper concerns about the frequency of disruptions.
“Quickly evolving from ‘zero train disruptions unrealistic’ to ‘some train disruptions are inevitable’ to ‘train disruptions by design, if one day no incident is a bonus’,” one user remarked.
The user cited Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow’s remarks in Parliament in September, where he acknowledged mounting public frustration after a series of train disruptions that month, but cautioned that “zero disruptions” is unrealistic, noting that train delays happen in every system, in every city.
Siow stressed that the government’s goal remains to “absolutely minimise” disruptions, given the inconvenience to commuters.
A separate user raised concerns about population density and infrastructure strain, arguing that Singapore needs to reduce its population.
The user pointed out that only a limited amount of maintenance can be carried out between 1am and 5am daily and warned that train breakdowns may become more frequent if the population continues to grow.
The user added that trains and other public spaces would also be far more pleasant if they were not so overcrowded.
MRT Reliability Falls in September
Singapore’s MRT network recorded a second month of declining reliability, based on data released by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on 14 November.
The latest figures showed trains travelled an average of 1.67 million train-km between delays lasting more than five minutes from October 2024 to September 2025.
This represented a decline from the 1.74 million train-km recorded between September 2024 and August 2025.
LTA said the figures were derived from the 12-month moving average of mean kilometres between failure, adding that the measure captures the distance a train travels before experiencing a delay of more than five minutes.
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