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Tag: SMRT

  • Footage Of Mystery 2011 SMRT Bishan Depot Break-In, Vandalism Emerges

    Footage Of Mystery 2011 SMRT Bishan Depot Break-In, Vandalism Emerges

    Fresh video footage of the culprits who broke into SMRT’s Bishan Depot five years ago and vandalised a train carriage has turned up online.

    The footage, part of a 12-episode video series to market a photo book by an American duo who called themselves “Utah and Ether”, showed three people crossing the canal at the Bishan SMRT depot at night and cutting a hole through the fence.

    Two of them — with their faces covered — were filmed spray painting one of the trains in the depot with the words “jet setter’s” before escaping through the fence again.

    The culprits behind the act on August 17, 2011 have never been identified or arrested. Media reports have identified “Utah and Ether” as Danielle Bremner and Jim Clay Harper, respectively. It is unclear, however, if they are behind the Bishan Depot break-in.

    SMRT was fined S$200,000 by the Land Transport Authority in October 2011 for that security lapse. SMRT’s trains were vandalised in similar fashion in separate incidents in 2010 and 2014.

    Shin Min Daily News reported on the footage of the Bishan Depot break-in on Thursday, though the video was first posted online on April 29 this year. When approached, SMRT said the issue was a police matter.

    According to media reports in Australia and Hong Kong, Harper is in jail while Bremner is said to be on the run from the authorities. Harper was arrested in Melbourne on May 4 this year, after a man confronted him about defacing shops. He was jailed at the end of May for six months.

    “The Singapore Police Force is aware of the arrest and is currently working with the Australian authorities to facilitate investigations into the case of vandalism reported at Bishan MRT depot in August 2011,” said the police in a statement.

    Following Harper’s arrest, Bremner and another Australian graffiti artist went on the run from the Australian authorities for almost four weeks before boarding a plane and flying to Hong Kong, reported Australia’s The Age newspaper.

    According to reports, Harper and Bremner were charged in 2008 for vandalising trains when they returned to the United States from Europe. They were to have been on probation for five years after their release.

    However, they broke probation by boarding on a plane to India in 2011. Their book, which is sold on The Grifters website, purportedly documents their travels to 11 countries and 37 cities in Asia where they vandalised a number of subways.

     

    Source: TODAY Online

  • Ibu Rindu Allahyarham Nasrulhudin, Kakitangan SMRT Yang Terbunuh

    Ibu Rindu Allahyarham Nasrulhudin, Kakitangan SMRT Yang Terbunuh

    Kehilangan juga terasa bagi keluarga Cik Norizan.

    Anak lelakinya yang ketiga, Nasrulhudin Najumudin, 26 tahun, meninggal dunia dalam satu kemalangan MRT di Stesen Pasir Ris pada 22 Mac 2016.

    Allahyarham sedang menjalani latihan di tempat kerja apabila beliau dan seorang rakan sekerjanya dilanggar kereta api.

    “Kadang-kadang, terasa macam dia masih ada. Tapi bila fikir balik, memang arwah dah tiada lagi dengan kita. Tapi kadang-kadang, terkenang keletahnya,” kata ibu Nasrulhudin, Cik Norizan.

    Menurutnya lagi, lauk raya kegemaran Nasrul ialah Sambal Goreng dan beliau kuat tahan pedas.

    “Saya memang siapkan cili padi. Jadi apa pun dia makan, dia akan potong-potong cili padi. Jadi sekarang saya tengokkan cili padi itu, dah tak ada orang makan, sebab dia yang makan,” ujar beliau lagi.

    Sebagai menyambut lebaran, Cik Norizan sering memasak beraneka juadah dan kuih untuk saudara-maranya.

    Oleh itu, pemergian Nasrul lebih terasa pada Syawal kali ini, kerana beliau rajin membantu untuk menghantar semua makanan tersebut.

    Source: Berita MediaCorp

  • LTA Details Events Leading Up To Return Of China-Made Trains

    LTA Details Events Leading Up To Return Of China-Made Trains

    The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has issued a timeline of events leading up to the recent return of a batch of China-made trains for SMRT.

    LTA also disclosed that the hairline cracks found in the defective trains “were due to localised impurity in the aluminium car-body material that occurred during the manufacturing process”. It also provided a photo showing a sample of the hairline cracks found.

    This is LTA’s statement in full.

    Trains on the North-South and East-West Lines Safe for Service
    The Land Transport Authority would like to address some of the issues related to the 26 North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL) trains that have been the subject of recent media and online discussion.

    2.    The Land Transport Authority awarded Contract 151A in 2009 to Kawasaki Heavy Industries and CSR Sifang to design, manufacture, and deliver 35 new trains for the NSEWL. The trains were progressively put into service from February 2011, following rigorous testing of their safety and reliability.

    Battery and Draughtscreen Issues

    3.    Prior to the commencement of passenger service, all new trains arriving in Singapore would be put through testing and commissioning.  The same was done for the KHI-CSR Sifang trains. During such testing, there was an incident on one train where the cover of the train battery housing flew open due to a build-up of gases. The manufacturer took immediate action to replace its supplier and improved the design of the battery housing for all affected trains.

    4.    Incidents of cracks of the draughtscreen  on five trains were also discovered. These were found to be caused by errors during the installation process and unrelated to the hairline cracks found on the 26 trains’ car-bodies.

    5.    It is not unusual to detect some defects on new trains.  We then take appropriate action to have them rectified by the manufacturer.

    Hairline Cracks

    6.    In July 2013, during a routine inspection of the trains, hairline cracks on the surface of the car-body bolster  were found. 22 of the 26 trains were in passenger service then. LTA immediately carried out further inspections. No cracks were found on other components of the trains. (Please see Appendix 1 and 2 for the location of the car-body bolster and an example of a hairline crack.)

    7.    Laboratory tests showed that these hairline cracks were due to localised impurity in the aluminium car-body material that occurred during the manufacturing process. LTA engineers and its contractor assessed that the hairline cracks would not affect the operational safety of the trains. To confirm this, LTA further sought the opinion of an independent third-party assessor, TUV Rheinland, which concurred that the trains were safe to operate.

    8.    Due to the nature of the defect, the most effective way of addressing it is to replace the entire car-body shell. As the trains were under warranty, we required the contractor to replace the entire car body shell. Hence, since July 2014, the affected trains have been progressively sent back to the factory for rectification works . The costs of the shipping are borne by the contractor.

    9.    To ensure that this unexpected occurrence did not affect our train deployment, LTA has been working closely with SMRT. The replacement of a train car body is time consuming and labour-intensive, with each car body replacement taking up to four months. Hence, to minimise the impact on our train operations in Singapore as well as the lack of facilities and space for repair works of this nature at our depots, only one train is sent back to the factory in China at any one time. We did not send all of the trains back at once as they were still fit and safe for service and we wanted to ensure sufficient train-availability for commuters.

    10.     Starting next year, with the arrival of more new trains for NSEWL and when trains currently undergoing resignalling are ready, LTA will be able to send two trains concurrently for replacement works. This will speed up the rectification programme and its completion can be brought forward to 2019.

    11.    As of today, the car-body replacement for five of the 26 trains has been completed. The car-body of the sixth train is being replaced. As per safety protocols, LTA, together with the contractor, will continue to carry out rigorous inspections to ensure that all trains are safe for service.

     

    Source: TODAY Online

  • Defects On SMRT Trains ‘Not Safety-Critical’, To Be Repaired By Manufacturer: LTA

    Defects On SMRT Trains ‘Not Safety-Critical’, To Be Repaired By Manufacturer: LTA

    A total of 26 of 35 trains delivered to SMRT in 2013 were found to have cracks, the public transport operator said on Tuesday (Jul 5). The cracks are in the structure of the trains connecting the car and the bogie (the framework carrying wheels), it added.

    The defective trains, which are still under warranty, will be repaired by the manufacturer by 2023, managing director of SMRT Trains Lee Ling Wee said in response to media queries about a report by Hong Kong-based investigative news portal FactWire.

    The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a separate statement that the defects “are not safety-critical and do not affect the train’s systems or performance”, adding that it has been working closely with the manufacturer Kawasaki Heavy Industries and CSR Sifang after defects were found on the trains purchased under C151A.

    “The train manufacturer will be required to make good the defects as part of their warranty,” LTA stated.

    Mr Lee said its engineers discovered the cracks and since then, it has worked closely with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the manufacturer to rectify this issue.

    “To ensure that the trains are safe for passenger service at all times, we have been monitoring the defects closely. A monthly safety assessment is also conducted by the LTA and manufacturer before the train is put into service,” Mr Lee said.

    “Trains on the rail network are extensively tested to ensure the safety and reliability of the train. Every train also undergoes a comprehensive regime of static and dynamic testing as well as interface testing to ensure its structural and operational integrity.  After the testing is completed, the trains are delivered to Singapore for further testing before they are placed for passenger service,” LTA said.

    DETAILS OF RECALLS “KEPT SECRET”: HK REPORT

    FactWire had reported on Tuesday that China-made trains in Singapore showed “cracks in their car bodies and key structural components”. As a result, 35 trains were shipped to their manufacturer for Qingdao for replacement.

    FactWire claimed the details of the defects and recalls were “kept secret in both Singapore and China”, and that the defective trains were stored at SMRT’s Bishan Depot. According to the FactWire report, two train cars wrapped in green covers were moved out of the depot early on Jun 12, and arrived at CSR Sifang’s factory in Qingdao, China on Jun 25. The report also alleged that “serious malfunctions on the SMRT’s North South Line, which the SMRT suspected were caused by C151A trains” occurred in December 2011.

    The news portal also uploaded a video on its Facebook page, purportedly showing the defective trains being transported to Jurong Port to be shipped overseas.

    In 2009, LTA awarded a S$368 million contract to Kawasaki Heavy Industries and CSR Sifang for 22 trains. The trains were to have been delivered between 2011 and 2012, and run on the North-South and East-West Lines.

    The manufacturer has also built trains for the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XLR) and Mass Transit Railway Corporation’s (MTR Corporation).

    Last year, LTA signed a S$137 million deal for 12 more new trains from the consortium, to run on the North-South and East-West Lines as well.

    7 YEARS “EXTREMELY LONG” FOR REPAIRS: ANALYST

    Dr Park Byung Joon, a senior lecturer at SIM University, told Channel NewsAsia that the seven-year period needed to repair the train’s defects “seems extremely long”.

    “Even if we need to replace the entire train, it could take probably a couple months … (at) maximum. If something is going to take seven years to (be) repaired, it means that there are some critical, technical issues that they don’t even have a solution to yet,” Dr Park said.

    The recall of 26 trains comes as Singapore works to rapidly expand its rail network. Authorities want to double the rail network to 360km in the next 15 years, with a new line or MRT extension opening almost every year until 2021.

    Dr Park said having the defective trains out of service might not have a significant impact on the train system itself, but could still affect public confidence.

    “We have had some massive disruptions before, and now (they) are slowly gaining back some confidence – and now this business pops up. This is going to have a very bad impact on customer confidence,” said Dr Park.

    SMRT declined to comment on how this latest development would affect current operations and its long-term plans to improve rail reliability.

     

    Source: ChannelNewsAsia

  • Ex-SMRT Employee ‘On The Run’ After Allegedly Pilfering $20,000

    Ex-SMRT Employee ‘On The Run’ After Allegedly Pilfering $20,000

    A former SMRT station manager allegedly pilfered $20,000 in cash from Tanah Merah station, and is being investigated by the police.

    The man is said to be on the run, and no longer in the country.

    A police spokesman confirmed that the rail operator had lodged a report last Wednesday. He added that investigations are under way.

    The Straits Times understands that the missing money – largely from commuters wanting to top up their travel cards at the station office – had been siphoned over a period of several months.

    The case came to light apparently through an internal audit. Sources said the alleged culprit had worked at SMRT for only two years.

    When contacted, SMRT spokesman Patrick Nathan said the company has referred the case to the police and that he could not comment further.

    Each day, more than three million trips are made by close to one million people on Singapore’s rail network. Observers estimate that if 3 per cent of the one million commuters topped up their travel cards by just $10 through the station office instead of the automated machines, the network would collect $300,000 in cash each day. And if the cash were to be evenly distributed, each station would be handling at least $3,000 a day, or $21,000 a week.

    But according to insiders, busier stations could be handling much more than that.

    Tanah Merah station, being an interchange where commuters go to and from Changi Airport, as well as Pasir Ris, Simei and Tampines, is one such busy station.

    The Straits Times understands that by the time the missing money was discovered and the police report filed, the alleged perpetrator had already been away from Singapore for two months.

    A source familiar with the work of a station manager said the handling of money is “based on trust”.

    Source: The Straits Times