Punctuality of S'pore MRT trains decreased slightly, but overall more reliable in Jan. 2026

Train punctuality across Singapore’s MRT network dipped slightly in January 2026.

According to the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) Rail Service Reliability Performance figures released on Feb. 13, punctuality fell from 99.55 per cent in December 2025 to 99.24 per cent in January 2026.

This was largely attributed to decreases in the punctuality of trains on the North East Line (NEL) and Circle Line (CCL).

Train punctuality

It is generally more challenging to maintain punctuality on shorter lines such as the NEL, as operators have less time to recover from delays.

For the CCL, punctuality last month was affected by a service disruption on Jan. 13, as well as operational complexities arising from tunnel repair works that began on Jan. 17.

During the Jan. 13 incident, commuters on the CCL experienced a delay along a seven-station stretch between Bishan and Buona Vista during the evening peak period, The Straits Times reported.

Train service delivery improved

Train Service Delivery (TSD), which measures the actual distance travelled by trains compared to the scheduled distance, edged up from 99.84 per cent in December 2025 to 99.87 per cent in January 2026.

A higher TSD reflects higher rail reliability, as it means that more trains were operated according to schedule.

The East-West Line (EWL), NEL and CCL recorded slight increases in TSD.

However, the North-South Line (NSL) and Downtown Line (DTL) saw marginal dips.

The NSL’s TSD fell to 99.87 per cent from 99.99 per cent, while the DTL’s slipped to 99.96 per cent from 99.97 per cent.

MRT network MKBF remains above target

The overall MRT network Mean Kilometres Between Failure (MKBF) remains high, having increased from 1.606 million train-km in December 2025 to 1.673 million train-km in January 2026.

MKBF is the average distance that a train travels before it encounters a delay of more than five minutes.

All lines continued to meet the target of exceeding one million train-km between failures.

Here is the breakdown of each line's performance:

North-South Line (NSL)

The NSL clocked in 1.237 million train-km in January 2026, up from 1.099 million train-km in December 2025.

East-West Line (EWL)

The EWL measured 1.446 million train-km, up from 1.265 train-km in December 2025.

North East Line (NEL)

The NEL clocked an average of 2.209 million train-km, an increase from December 2025's 2.198 million train-km.

Circle Line (CCL)

The CCL clocked 1.834 million train-km, a decrease from 2.464 train-km in December 2025.

It was the only line among the five measured to see a dip in overall performance.

Downtown Line (DTL)

The DTL clocked 2.794 million train-km in January 2026, an increase from 2.787 million train-km in December 2025.

Thomson-East Coast Line

As a newer line, LTA said its operators are still working with the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) to resolve issues that emerge that emerge as operations scale up.

With works on TEL Stage 5 still ongoing, more time is needed before its performance stabilises.

LTA expects reliability to improve after the line fully opens in 2026 and operations mature, allowing for fairer comparisons with older lines.

For January 2026, the TEL’s TSD remained at 99.99 per cent, while its punctuality rose from 99.72 per cent in December 2025 to 99.91 per cent.

LTA said it remains committed to working closely with the rail operators to maintain high levels of rail reliability for commuters.

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