Ensuring Commuter Safety during Power Outages and Train Breakdowns
Ministry of TransportSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns safety measures during MRT breakdowns, with MP Dennis Tan Lip Fong inquiring about preventing darkness during power failures and ensuring commuter safety during track walks. Minister Khaw Boon Wan responded that stations and tunnels feature independent backup power for lighting and critical systems, while trains carry batteries for emergency ventilation and communications. He explained that during detrainment, traction power is disconnected and staff guide passengers along walkways while trains at adjoining stations are held to isolate the sector. To maintain safety standards, the Minister highlighted that operators, the Land Transport Authority, and the Singapore Civil Defence Force conduct regular joint contingency exercises. These protocols ensure that no trains move within the affected stretch while staff assist passengers back to the station safely and effectively.
Transcript
57 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport what are the safety measures in place during MRT breakdowns to ensure that (i) commuters will not be trapped in darkness during a power failure occurring either in the tunnels or elsewhere on the track during night-time; and (ii) commuters will not be endangered when required to walk along LRT/MRT tracks during breakdowns.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Every Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) station is equipped with an independent backup power supply that provides basic lighting in the tunnels and stations during a power failure. This backup power supply also keeps critical systems, such as signalling, communications and platform screen doors, functioning. All our trains are equipped with backup batteries to power emergency lighting, ventilation fans and the public address system.
If passengers need to be detrained, the operators have to follow strict safety procedures. They must ensure that traction power is switched off for the affected stretch, so that no trains will move into and within the sector. Trains will also be held at adjoining stations as an immediate measure to further isolate that stretch. The operators will then deploy their staff to the stalled train to guide and assist passengers back to the station via the walkway. The train operators, together with the Land Transport Authority and the Singapore Civil Defence Force, conduct regular exercises to ensure that the staff are adequately trained and prepared to handle such contingencies safely and effectively.