3rd Punggol LRT disruption in just over a month, SBS Transit Group CEO apologises
Calista Wong
The Straits Times
Sept 13, 2025
Train service on the Punggol LRT line resumed at 8.10am on Sept 13, about three hours after a systems fault led to a disruption.
Free regular and bridging bus services have also ceased, train operator SBS Transit said in a social media post on X at about 8.18am.
Preliminary findings indicate that the fault arose from a premature failure in the new signalling control system which manages train movements, SBS Transit group chief executive Jeffrey Sim said in a statement on Facebook at about 9.10am.
"When the system is down, trains are unable to operate," he said, adding that trains could not be launched from the depot at the start of operations.
He said SBS Transit is working with the equipment manufacturer to investigate the matter and prevent a recurrence.
He also apologised to affected commuters for the inconvenience.
SBS Transit had announced that service on the Punggol LRT line was not available due to a systems fault at about 5.14am.
In an update at 6.08am, it added that free regular and bridging bus services were available at the Punggol Bus Interchange and designated stops near affected stations.
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It had also advised commuters to follow directional signs to get to these boarding points, and to log on to the SBS Transit mobile app, or the LTA MyTransport mobile app, to view alternative transport options.
Its passenger service teams were also on site to assist commuters.
This is the third disruption to the Punggol LRT service to have occurred in just over a month.
On Aug 12, a failure of the power switchboard at the North-East Line's depot substation crippled services on the entire Sengkang-Punggol LRT, as well as an 11-stop stretch between Farrer Park and Punggol Coast MRT stations on the NEL.
Services on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT line were partially restored in the evening, running on only one track each during the evening peak period. It was fully restored after about 10 hours.
On Aug 15, trains on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT system were disrupted for about four hours due to a power fault.
