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Tag: SMRT

  • Victim’s Family Questions Sacking Of MRT Driver

    Victim’s Family Questions Sacking Of MRT Driver

    The families of the victims in the fatal SMRT accident in March have questioned the operator’s sacking of the train driver involved in the tragedy, before investigations by the relevant authorities are complete and the Coroner’s Inquiry is held.

    Expressing their sympathies for the sacked driver, they reiterated the need for the full picture to emerge. Amid concerns that the sacking could prejudice the ongoing probes, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in response to TODAY’s queries that the sacking was “an internal decision by SMRT”.

    “Investigations by MOM and LTA are ongoing and will be based on the facts of the case,” they added.

    On Wednesday (Sept 14), The Straits Times reported that Mr Rahmat Mohd, 49, was dismissed on Tuesday after an internal disciplinary inquiry. Citing sources, it added that an operations control centre staff member had also left the company earlier on account of the incident, which occurred on March 22.

    Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari, 24, and Nasrulhudin Najumudin, 26, were killed by an oncoming train while on their way, as part of a team of 15, to check on a warning signal from a monitoring device.

    Speaking to TODAY, Nasrulhudin’s eldest brother Nasrifudin, 33, said his family was shocked to hear about the sacking of Mr Rahmat. “He could be the breadwinner of the family so we are also sad for him,” said the civil servant.

    Asyraf’s cousin, who wished to be known only as Mr Khai, noted that all the staff involved in the accident as well as their colleagues would have been “affected emotionally and mentally”.

    While he felt that SMRT had its own reasons for dismissing the driver, it would have been better if the operator based its disciplinary actions on the Coroner’s Inquiry, which would uncover the “real sequence of events”.

    “They should wait (for the inquiry),” he said. Nevertheless, he said the family is thankful for SMRT’s support following the tragedy. “We have to accept the situation as it is … The takeaway from all this is that hopefully, none of this happens again,” he added.

    Mr Melvin Yong, the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU) executive secretary, said that the union had previously written to SMRT, asking it to withhold any disciplinary action until official investigations are complete, so as to not prejudice the outcome.

    “We will now review the situation, study the grounds for SMRT dismissal, and work with the affected staff on the next steps. The union will continue to render affected staff the necessary support and assistance during this difficult time, as we have since the incident,” he added.

    In April, SMRT shared the findings by an independent panel on the accident. The panel found that the team involved had stepped onto the train track before “vital” protection measures were implemented. Also, a speed limit to prevent trains from entering the track area on automated mode was not set, and watchmen were not deployed to look out for and warn of approaching trains, “directly causing” the accident.

    The report was submitted to LTA, MOM and the police to assist with their statutory investigations. A Coroner’s Inquiry will be held after official investigations conclude. LTA had earlier said that its investigations would be completed in the third quarter of this year.

    When contacted, SMRT spokesman Patrick Nathan reiterated that the company does not comment on staff disciplinary measures.

    The sacking of Mr Rahmat also drew flak online.

    Writing on Facebook, prominent blogger Andrew Loh said the firing was a case of “scapegoating”. He asked if the sacked train driver was really at fault, and even if he was, whether he should be made to bear the full responsibility. He added: “Amazing that, at the other end, despite years of failures, disruptions, delays and all sorts of incidents on our trains, affecting millions of commuters, NOT A SINGLE higher-up has ever been held accountable.”

    Referring to Mr Rahmat, Ms Emily Chong wrote on SMRT’s Facebook page: “At 49 years old, he now has to find a new job to support himself and his family — for a mistake that was not his to bear.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

     

  • Andrew Loh: Train Driver A Scapegoat, Big Bosses Not Affected

    Andrew Loh: Train Driver A Scapegoat, Big Bosses Not Affected

    Was the train driver really at fault? Even if he had to bear some responsibility, should he bear full responsibility?

    Seems to me this is scapegoating.

    Amazing that, at the other end, despite years of failures, disruptions, delays, and all sorts of incidents on our trains, affecting millions of commuters, NOT A SINGLE higher-up has ever been held accountable.

    In fact, they are even being paid more than a DPM!

    Why is it that it is always the lower-downs who are dealt with swiftly, while the higher-ups are rewarded handsomely despite numerous failings?

     

    Source: Andrew Loh

  • SMRT Train Driver Involved In Fatal Accident Resulting In Deaths Of Two Colleagues Fired

    SMRT Train Driver Involved In Fatal Accident Resulting In Deaths Of Two Colleagues Fired

    Transport operator SMRT Corp has fired the train driver who was involved in a fatal track accident that killed two of his colleagues in March.

    The Straits Times understands that Mr Rahmat Mohd, 49, was dismissed yesterday after an internal disciplinary inquiry.

    Mr Rahmat, who was reassigned to a non-driving job after the accident, said he felt “sad” about the company’s decision. “I’ve no plans at the moment,” he added.

    Sources said an operations control centre staff member had also left earlier on account of the incident.

    SMRT spokesman Patrick Nathan said the company does not comment on staff disciplinary measures.

    National Transport Workers’ Union executive secretary Melvin Yong said: “NTWU understands that SMRT has taken action to dismiss two workers related to the incident on March 22. NTWU has previously written to SMRT to withhold any actions against the affected workers until completion of official investigations so as to not prejudice the outcome of the official investigations. We will now review the situation, study the grounds for SMRT dismissal, and work with the affected staff on the next steps.”

    Two SMRT maintenance workers were killed while they were on an East-West Line track near Pasir Ris station on the morning of March 22. Mr Nasrulhudin Najumudin, 26, and Mr Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari, 24, were hit by an oncoming train while they were undergoing on-the-job training.

    The two men were part of a group of 15 sent to investigate a possible fault with a track equipment.

    SMRT said in April – after an internal probe into the tragedy – that failure to follow safety measures had led to the accident.

    Lapses included allowing a train to ply in automatic mode while workers were on site, not deploying watchmen to look out for approaching trains, and failing to provide early warning to the work team.

    The Ministry of Manpower had also called on the operator to tighten its safety procedures a week after the fatal incident. A coroner’s inquiry into the accident is expected to convene early next year.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Hairline Cracks Found, 11 Sengkang-Punggol LRT Trains Withdrawn From Service

    Hairline Cracks Found, 11 Sengkang-Punggol LRT Trains Withdrawn From Service

    Hairline cracks have been found on 11 first-generation Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) trains, SBS Transit and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a joint statement on Friday (Sept 9).

    The trains were withdrawn from service as a precautionary measure after the discovery of the defects during SBS Transit’s fleet-wide inspection in July. Six of the trains have been repaired and returned to service.

    The remaining five are expected to be reinstated by the middle of next month.

    The cracks were found on the bogie frames of the trains and do not compromise its weight bearing property, said the statement. One of the core functions of the bogie frame is to support the guidance system of the trains.

     

    Location of crack on bogie frame:

    An independent assessor, TUV Rheinland, and the manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industry (MHI) had separately assessed that the defects are not safety-critical, the statement added.

    Friday’s news came about two months after Hong Kong news agency FactWire broke the news that 26 China-made SMRT trains hairline cracks were found to have hairline cracks and would be sent back in batches to their manufacturer’s plant in China for repairs.

    An LTA spokesperson said checks by SBS Transit were “intensified” after the discovery of cracks on the Kawasaki-Sifang MRT trains operated by SMRT. “The latest checks concluded that there are no new discovery of cracks on the other lines. The operators will continue to carry out regular inspections on all train components,” she said in response to TODAY’s queries.

    The FactWire report on the SMRT train defects, which was published in early July, sparked a public outcry. Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan had described the cracks on the SMRT trains – the first of which was discovered in July 2013 – as a routine matter that had been “mis-spun into a controversy”. He added that had the hairline cracks found on the trains compromised safety or service availability, the authorities would have released the information “immediately”.

    While SMRT did not withdraw the affected trains from service before they were sent for repairs, in order to minimise disruption to train operations, SBS Transit said it immediately pulled the affected trains from service as it had adequate capacity to keep operations going.

    A sample of the affected bogie frame has been sent to MHI’s research and development centre in Japan to determine the cause. When contacted, an MHI spokesperson said it is unable to comment as a detailed analysis is being carried out.

    The affected trains have been operating since the SPLRT was launched in 2003. There are a total of 57 trains in the SPLRT fleet and a maximum of 36 trains are deployed at any one time, SBS Transit and LTA said. The operator has been inspecting all its LRT trains on a weekly basis for any new defects.

    SBS Transit and LTA said they are working with MHI to “redesign, strengthen and replace” the bogie frame structures on all 57 trains. They added: “The detailed improvement timeline is being worked out and MHI will bear the replacement costs.”

    The LTA spokesperson said there was no need to ship the affected trains back to Japan as the rectification works were “less complex” as compared to the works to rectify the hairline cracks on the 26 SMRT trains.

    Mountbatten Member of Parliament Lim Biow Chuan, who sits on the Government Parliamentary Committee for transport noted that the Government was more transparent in sharing information about the latest discovery of hairline cracks.

    The defects of the 26 SMRT trains had “caused quite a bit of alarm” among the public as to whether there was a cover-up, he noted.

    “Having learnt a precious lesson that if you don’t tell people, people (will) speculate and attribute all sorts of unsubstantiated comments about why (the) trains are being brought back,” said Mr Lim. “So to avoid any kind of speculation, then I think (LTA and SBS Transit) felt that in this case (it would be) better to tell… although they assessed (the hairline cracks) not to be a major issue.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Second Phase Of Study On MRT Extension To Johor

    Second Phase Of Study On MRT Extension To Johor

    A project to extend the Thomson- East Coast Line north into Johor Baru is gaining traction, with the second phase of an advanced engineering study under way.

    In response to queries from The Straits Times, Singapore’s Ministry of Transport said the study will take up to the second quarter of 2018 to complete. But it could be completed by the third quarter of next year, it said.

    Both Singapore and Johor launched the joint study in April.

    “Phase 2 is intended to develop the detailed engineering design for the rapid transit system project,” a ministry spokesman said.

    The Straits Times understands that this stage of the study will include a detailed look at the feasibility, merits and cost-effectiveness of various alignments, number of stops and whether the straits crossing will be made under the sea or via a bridge.

    The project was first announced in 2010 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said then that the cross-border rapid transit project would be an extension of the Thomson-East Coast Line, and would be completed by 2018.

    This was pushed to 2019 when Singapore decided to lengthen the Thomson-East Coast Line.

    Since then, there had been little progress reported on the 4-5km extension, with Singapore saying it was waiting for Johor to decide on the location of its terminal station.

    But last August, Malaysia confirmed that the station terminus would be in Bukit Chagar, just north of JB Sentral. The Bukit Chagar terminus will have its own customs and immigration facilities, according to the New Straits Times.

    Separately, the LTA said it embarked on a ridership study of the Singapore-Johor Baru extension last month.

    It said the study is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Construction industry watchers said the line is unlikely to be completed before 2020.

     

    Source: The Straits Times