No MRT services between Boon Lay and Queenstown stations for at least the rest of the day: LTA

SINGAPORE: Train services will not be available on the East-West Line (EWL) between Boon Lay and Queenstown MRT stations, in both directions, for at least the rest of Wednesday (Sep 25).
This comes after an incident on Wednesday morning where an eastbound train developed a fault near Clementi station at about 9am. 
“While the train was being withdrawn, a power trip was detected at 9.25am. This caused trains on the EWL between Queenstown and Boon Lay stations to stall,” said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Wednesday afternoon. 
“Our preliminary assessment is that when the damaged train was being withdrawn, it caused damage to the tracks, including the running rails and the third rail supplying power to the train.”
LTA said it has activated additional support from bus operators to improve bridging bus service ahead of the evening peak.
Commuters can also board the regular bus services calling at designated bus stops at the affected stations. 
In an earlier statement about the incident, SMRT said that the affected vehicle was a Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) train, which has been in service for over 35 years.
It encountered a fault and emitted smoke while returning to Ulu Pandan Depot.
This caused damage to the power cable and resulted in a power trip, disrupting train service between Boon Lay and Queenstown stations,” it said at 12.20pm. 
From 5pm, SMRT will run a separate shuttle train service between Buona Vista and Queenstown MRT stations, and also between Jurong East and Boon Lay stations, at intervals of 10 minutes.  
In response to CNA queries, SMRT said the shuttle trains will stop at every station along those stretches. 
There will be no train shuttle service between Jurong East and Buona Vista. 
Free regular and bridging bus services continue to be available between Boon Lay and Queenstown stations, SMRT.
SMRT provided suggestions on alternative routes. 
“For instance, commuters travelling from Tuas are encouraged to alight at Jurong East station and take the North-South line towards the city. Commuters who are returning home from the city can also consider taking the Circle Line, Thomson-East Coast Line, or the Downtown Line,” it said in a Facebook post. 
The transport operator also said that the safety of its staff members was of “topmost priority”. 
“In view of the wet weather condition near Clementi station, we are taking every measure to ensure the safety of our engineers when going on-site to assess and rectify the fault.”
LTA “strongly advised” commuters to make alternative transport arrangements to continue their journeys.
The authority also said that it has informed the Singapore Examination and Assessment Board (SEAB) to work out arrangements. 
Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) written exams start on Thursday.
“More time may be required for repair works. During engineering hours tonight, SMRT and LTA will make further assessment whether passenger service can resume on Sep 26,” said LTA. 
Updates will be available on SMRT and LTA’s social media platforms and on LTA’s MyTransport app.
On Oct 7, 2017, a heavy downpour led to a flooded tunnel between Braddell and Bishan MRT stations, and train services on the North-South Line were shut down for over 20 hours.
That remains the longest train service disruption to date.
SMRT’s internal investigations later found that staff in charge of the Bishan pump system not only failed to carry out preventive maintenance on the purported maintenance dates but also falsified maintenance records.
The rail operator spent about S$2 million to repair and replace equipment and components in the wake of the flooding.