Investigations into MRT Tunnel Flooding on North-South Line
Ministry of TransportSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the investigations into the MRT tunnel flooding near Bishan station on 7 October 2017 and the resulting disruptions to the North-South Line. Members of Parliament queried the root causes of pump failures, the frequency of maintenance inspections, and the effectiveness of LTA’s regulatory oversight and risk assessment protocols. Questions also addressed the impact of SMRT’s corporate culture on system reliability, the status of asset transfers, and the safety measures in place for commuters during such incidents. Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan responded by taking the ten related questions as a single bloc to be addressed via a Ministerial Statement. The Minister concluded by stating that Members would be welcome to seek further clarifications after the delivery of the statement.
Transcript
1 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport (a) when were the pumps in the tunnel between Bishan and Braddell MRT stations last inspected before a malfunction led to the tunnel flooding on 7 October 2017; (b) how often are MRT operators required to inspect such pumps in all MRT tunnels; and (c) what is LTA's oversight system on timely inspections of equipment/machinery and repair or replacement of faulty equipment/machinery carried out by the operators.
2 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport with regard to the tunnel flooding between Bishan and Braddell MRT stations on 7 October 2017 (a) why did the recent flood mitigation measures carried out by LTA for the MRT network fail to prevent the flooding; and (b) whether the mitigation measures included a review of the pump system and, if so, what was its outcome.
3 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the root cause of the flooding in the MRT tunnel on 7 October 2017; (b) whether there are standby pumps at each MRT underground tunnel; (c) how often are these pumps checked as part of regular maintenance; (d) whether there are CCTVs in the MRT tunnels for the control station to monitor tunnel situations; and (e) whether this occurrence is avoidable.
4 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Transport (a) other than the Bishan MRT station, what faulty pump items are found in the other four stations of Lavender-Kallang, Redhill-Tiong Bahru, Kembangan-Bedok and Expo-Changi; (b) whether their maintenance schedules have also been deferred; (c) what are the procedures for oversight and verification of the maintenance works carried out; (d) what are the standard operating procedures for maintenance works found wanting and how promptly are remedies carried out; and (e) how are the maintenance crew trained for such works.
5 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Transport (a) what was the root cause of the MRT tunnel flooding of 7 October 2017; (b) how will the Ministry seek to reduce, through regulation, the likelihood of a recurrence; and (c) what protocols are in place to keep passengers safe in the event water meets electricity within the tunnel or within the train.
6 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the transfer of all operating assets from SMRT to LTA has been completed; (b) whether these assets have been audited for their net book value and their operational condition; and (c) whether the anti-flood system at Bishan station is included in the assets transferred and audited.
7 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Transport in light of the MRT train breakdown due to a flooding of the tunnel near Bishan (a) whether more risk assessments will be done on the entire train system to identify other possible risk spots; and (b) whether more regulatory supervision will be carried out on the public transport operators.
8 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are the "deep-seated cultural issues" the SMRT CEO alluded to as reasons for multiple malfunctions of SMRT's rail transit network; (b) whether these issues caused the separate malfunctions over the past two years, including the incidents on 7 July 2015, 22 March 2016, 25 April 2016 and 30 August 2017; and (c) if so, whether the Ministry has plans to address these issues to ensure reliability and safety of the rail network.
9 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Transport how does LTA balance its role as the regulator that determines whether rapid transit system operators should be imposed penalties for failing to discharge their responsibility with the desirability of ensuring that the same operators work closely with LTA, in its capacity as the system owner, as a team to resolve problems affecting the system's reliability.
10 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the preventive maintenance schedule for the MRT system over the next six months; (b) how effective are these plans at reducing the frequency and scale of breakdowns and delays of our train services; and (c) whether there are plans to close MRT lines for major maintenance works.
The Minister for Transport (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Mr Speaker, Sir, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 1 to 10 as one bloc and to respond to them through a Ministerial Statement later?
Mr Speaker: Yes, please.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Members are welcome to seek clarifications after I have delivered the Statement. Thank you, Mr Speaker.