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[Update on Mar. 5, 11:06pm: SMRT explained in a Facebook post that a system-related fault had activated the train braking system in one of the trains.
This had occurred on the East-West Line before Raffles Place station.
The transport operator added that in-train and station announcements were made to inform commuters of the additional travel time.
At the same time, SMRT said that they are working with LTA and the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) as part of the NSEWL train fleet replacement programme, where the first three generations of trains will be replaced by 2026.
The post ended with an apology for the disruption.]
It was an exceptionally crowded afternoon at Tiong Bahru MRT Station on Sunday (Mar. 5) after a train fault occurred on the East-West Line.
SMRT first announced on Twitter at 12pm that commuters should expect an additional 25 minutes of travel time from Outram Park to Bugis.
Free regular bus services would be provided between these two areas in the meantime.
A Mothership reader, who was at Tiong Bahru, said passengers had to alight at the station, as there was "something wrong" with three consecutive trains.
This resulted in the station being flooded with commuters:
Photo via Mothership reader
Photo via Mothership reader
Photo via Mothership reader
Video via Mothership reader
Another passenger corroborated with a similar experience, noting that they had been told to wait for the next train rather than being informed of the disruption.
When asked for further details on this specific incident, SMRT referred Mothership to its social media pages instead.
Outram Park station was also described as "chaotic" by another user:
In response to this tweet, another user similarly expressed that a clear announcement over the system would have been more helpful than having station personnel relay the information.
By 12:25pm, the affected stations had extended to three more stops, from Queenstown to Bugis.
However, shortly after at 12:32pm, SMRT tweeted that train services have progressively resumed.
Things went back to normal at 12:45, whereupon free bus services ceased.
Top image via Mothership reader