If you’re a University of London (UOL) undergraduate, you’ll know that the service from Tanah Merah to Changi Airport is slow.
Especially when you’re rushing for your exams at Expo.
Well, guess what?
It’s going to get slower until 21 Jan 2020. And the reason for that?
Crack Found On Track Near Changi Airport
Yes, it rhymes.
And yes, this really happened.
On 16 Jan 2020, train operator SMRT found a crack in the crossing near Changi Airport MRT station.
It was discovered during engineering hours although it wasn’t specified how big the crack was.
What they did say, however, is that it is complicated repairing the track and will only be completed by 21 Jan 2020.
Trains To Be Diverted, Will Be Traveling Slower
SMRT said that until the crack was repaired, all trains will be diverted to one platform. It was added that trains will also travel at a slower speed when near the stretch of tracks.
SMRT seeks commuters’ patience and understanding for the inconvenience caused.
Commuters have reported feeling the delay in their journey.
One man ST spoke to says that when the train enters the curved section of the track towards Changi Airport, it “slows down and starts intermittently”.
SMRT said that commuters can expect to add a delay of “no more than 5 minutes” to their journey.
Inconvenient But Safety First
If there’s anything that the recent SAF accidents have taught us, it’s “better to be safe than sorry”.
While adding delay to an already tiring journey is inconvenient AF, you do have to admit that it’s better than the alternative:
That nothing was done and something tragic happens. Like a major disruption.
Punggol East LRT Station was shut down three hours earlier than normal when they discovered a crack on the tracks.
During that incident, SBS Transit said that at that moment in time, there were no “safety concerns”.
However, if left to its own devices, the crack might grow and lead to a major disruption of train services.
So kudos to the people doing the checking for faults in our train lines, especially during the hours when we’re fast asleep.
After all, it’s them that keeps us moving not just forward, but in a safe manner.
