The East-West Line (EWL) experienced a three-hour delay due to a track fault at Jurong East MRT station on Jul. 4.

The fault occurred at the station at around 5am.

Services started progressively resuming at around 7:48am.

Bridging bus services available

Train operator SMRT announced the fault at 6:17am. It advised commuters to add 20 minutes of travel time between Buona Vista and Clementi, and subsequently between Boon Lay and Clementi.

[EWL]: Due to a track fault, pls add 20mins train travel time from #BuonaVista to #Clementi towards #PasirRis. Free regular bus svcs from #BuonaVista to #Clementi. Our station staff will assist.

— SMRT Corporation (@SMRT_Singapore) July 3, 2024

Free regular bus services and bridging bus services were available to ferry passengers between Boon Lay and Clementi stations.

Passengers were also advised to take alternative lines such as the Thomson-East Coast Line, North-South Line and Downtown Line.

At 8:18am, SMRT announced that the fault had been cleared and train services progressively resumed from 7:48am.

The free regular and bridging bus services ceased at 8:12am.

[EWL] UPDATE: Fault on the EWL has cleared, train services are progressively returning to normal. Free regular bus and bridging bus services are still available between #BoonLay and #Clementi.

— SMRT Corporation (@SMRT_Singapore) July 3, 2024

Faulty point machine

The delays were a result of a "faulty point machine", said SMRT in a Facebook post.

"A point machine controls train movements at rail junctions when trains switch tracks. It is crucial for the point machine to be fully functional for the safe operation of trains," they added.

Once the fault was detected, trains were slowed down to 5 km/h for safety reasons, resulting in the delays.

SMRT said its staff were deployed onto the track to investigate the issue. Additional staff assisted service ambassadors in managing peak hour crowds.

"We apologise to all commuters who experienced longer travel times today."

Top photo via Ashwin Arunkumar/Google Maps